Ravens and Crows
by LanadelBeyoncePuncher
Summary: Akiza's life is falling to pieces. First she gets mixed up with the immortal "Raven King" and his enemy Crow, but now the three of them are fighting to stop Godwin, Jack, and Anthony from achieveing their evil goal. Violence and Romance based. COMPLETE!
1. Prolouge

**Into chapter to the story. It'll get better as I go on.**

**You'll see.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Akiza stood ever so close to the edge. Her heart beat madly in her chest, the danger closing in on her ever so swiftly. This was it; her last chance to pull through. Engaged in a heated duel with a mysterious cloaked stranger; Akiza had no choice but to win. Losing meant a catastrophic fall over the edge and…

_"No! Focus Akiza! You can win this, you just have to believe!" _I violently shook my head to clear away any thought of a tragic end.

"Are you going to Duel or stand there waiting for me to finish you off?" the stranger asked impatiently from the shadows.

The only part of him that was visible was his body. He wore a jet black cloak with the hood pulled over his eyes. The man had a pretty muscular build because I was able to see his muscles through the reddish-brown shirt he wore. He also had on black tight fitting pants and yellowish sneakers. Fate seemed to be working against me in this duel. On his field was a "Dark End Dragon" With 2100 ATK points. He had no face downs, or spell cards of any sorts. His life points were at 1000 and he had 4 cards in his hand.

**(1000/?)**

I, on the other hand, had 900 Life Points and no cards at all in my hand. On my field was also one monster: "Botanical Lion" with 1900 ATK points. The face down card on my field was "Overdoom Line", of which I was depending part of my strategy on. Two possible combos using only one card remained. If I could draw "Premature Burial", then the "Queen of Thorns" synchro monster sleeping in my grave would gain 1000 ATK when it was special summoned. With a total of 3200 ATK points, to win this duel. The only other option was to draw "Mark of the Rose". By removing the "Dark Verger" card from my graveyard, I could take control of his "Dark End Dragon"; it would be game over for that cold-hearted man.

But, "_Could I do it?"_ I doubly thought.

I felt a strange movement in my hand, so I held it up to see what was causing the problem. The problem was me. I was shivering. My hand was shaking and I could feel the confident feelings slipping away.

**(1000/ 900) **

"Well, well, uncertain of the outcome are we?" he jeered from the shadows, waiting impatiently for my move.

His mouth was curved in a crooked grin; I could sense that he had something sinister up his sleeve. It had to be the cards in his hand. One, or possibly more, could be a counter card for my next move. Even with that risk, I still had to take my chances.

"I'll show you a move!" I announced, placing my hand on my deck.

Little beads of sweat dripped down my face as the seconds to the final result of my faith neared.

"_It's up to fate now." _

"I draw!" Pulling a card off the top of my deck, I turned it slowly to see the card.

"_Wha-? N-No, It can't be!"_

My eyes grew wide with surprise and panic. Disappointed feelings struck me with a heavy blow.I didn't get either card that I needed. Instead I had "Black Rose Garden", a field spell. There wasn't a use for it, since his monster was already out on the field, defeating the garden's purpose of cutting a monster's attack in half when summoned.

"I-I…I end my turn," I announced shamefully, lowering my head so that my bangs covered my eyes.

"Heh, Heh, even after all that effort to stay alive, you decide to give in now?" the stranger taunted, with the roar of his "Dark End Dragon" to back him up.

"I activate the effect of my dragon, removing from play your "Botanical Lion" and decreasing its own ATK by 500."

I raised my head, only to see the horrible sight of the only defense I had crumble away into dust. "Dark End Dragon" shrunk slightly due to its own card effect. However, the dragon still loomed more than four feet over my head. Slowly, the man walked towards me with that evil smirking expression on his face.

_"Damn. This isn't going to end well, I just know it." _

Frightened, I stepped back, only to find the edge of the building, along with a 50 story drop to the dark street below.

_"…Death upon impact_..._" _I remembered hearing the man warn at the start of the duel.

_"There can only be one survivor," _he had threatened, _"From this height, falling would only cause death upon impact."_

The stranger smirked and ordered his final attack, "Dark End Dragon! Finish off Akiza's Life Points!"

I stared in horror at the massive dragon charging its attack.

"Dark Nova Stream." He said quietly.

I heard his words only moments before the violet flames spewed out of the dragon's mouth and collided with my body.

"Aaahhhhh!" I cried out in imense pain.

It felt like I was being burned alive, suffocated by water, and crushed by rocks all at the same time. Then, something different. Air. Rushing past my ears. I was falling.

_"Is this the end? Am I going to die here?" _the questions circulated through my head.

As I was loosing consciousness, my thought slowed and became thick like soup. I felt like a heavy blanket was covering my head, smothering out any logical action to take.

My last thought was: _"Why? Why, Me?"_ Then the world faded into a deep, dark black space.

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><p>If this was confusing at all, then I'm sorry for that.<p>

Background on how this starts comes in later chapters.

Plz comment on anything ^-^


	2. Defying Death

**Hey, thanks to all the reviewers, you people are really awesome. :)**

**It's spring break, so I'll try one chapter a day to prevent boredom. This one involves a lot of harrassment. A lot.**

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><p><strong>Defying Death<strong>

I was waiting. Waiting and wondering when my fate would be decided. I had assumed that there would be a white light at the end of the tunnel like people always say, but all I could see was an endless black void.

"_Am I dead?"_ I asked myself.

Of course, I had no idea of what happened. I only remembered feeling the air rushing by me and then, nothing. A muffled sound floated into my ear from above me, or was it below me? My thoughts were still slow and blurred from the damage of "Dark End Dragon's" attack.

"_W-Wings? That sound…it's like lots of beating wings. Angels maybe?"_ I questioned again.

My head was beginning to feel clearer, but everything was still dark.

"_Where am I?" _I was beginning to feel like I was repeating myself. Asking myself questions wasn't getting me anywhere.

"Open your eyes," Came a voice out of the darkness.

"_Wha-What?" _I asked. I was feeling very confused about the situation.

"You heard me. Open your eyes," It said again.

The voice was a male's; firm and commanding. However, it seemed that there was also a kinder feel to it. Like that person wanted me to do as he said, but didn't want to boss me around either.

"_O-Ok,"_ I replied softly. It wasn't like I had any other option. That voice, whoever he was, seemed to know how to escape the void.

I opened my eyes to find myself staring at my reflection. At first I assumed that I was looking at a mirror. Squinting, I adjusted my vision and realized that it was glass. A giant glass panel, attached to many more in rows up and down.

"_A… building?" _I guessed based on the panel's size.

"Hang on! Then that would mean…" I started to realize what I was seeing.

Tilting my head up towards the sky, I knew exactly where I was. My heartbeat sped up to twice the regular speed it pulsed at. About forty-some stories above me was the edge of a building where a small chunk of pavement had been taken out of the guard edge.

"No! It's not possible!" I cried out in fright.

"Anything's possible with the right factors," came a smart remark from somewhere in front of me.

I recognized the voice almost instantly.

"You! You're the one who…" I began.

"…Saved you from your death. I already know that," he interrupted; finishing off my sentence.

Now I knew that something was off. That guy, teen, person, was standing on top of the metal part above the streetlamp. I guessed that he was around my age, maybe older. 19 or so? His raven colored hair was tapered up in points on the side of his head. Red stripes streaked down the sides of the points. It appeared that some sort of liquid was moving in them. He wore a black shirt and a long sleeved leather jacket, which was black also. Black gloves covered his hands up to the middle of his forearm. A silver necklace with a tiny glowing sphere sat around his neck. There was also a dog tag, but I didn't feel like asking what was on it. He also had on tight black pants and boots to go with his other clothes. What stood out the most thought were his eyes. Red. Bright red like a shining flame, or blood perhaps? He seemed to be smirking, like he was enjoying me look at him.

"What? Am I _that_ attractive to you?" he asked in a playful way.

"Umm, no but I uh, uh…" I struggled to pull together an explanation of why I was staring.

"I honestly don't care, if that's what you want to hear," He replied. The teen crossed his arms over his chest, "Just be conscious of how high the drop is."

"Drop?" I asked.

"Haven't you noticed that you're not standing on anything yet?" he said, in a semi frustrated manner. He rubbed his temples in slight agony of my stupidity.

"_Oh crap. He's right. But if I'm not standing on anything, then how can I be at eye level with him? And he's even on a street lamp!"_ I realized in a panic. I sweat dropped at this thought.

"Look beside you; the answer's pretty clear," he told me in almost a mocking tone.

I slowly turned my head to see two big black birds grasping my arm in their talons. Panicking, I turned my head side to side only to see more birds grabbing my arms, legs and back of my shirt where my shoulder blades were. The birds were holding me in the air, and it was at least a good ten, twenty foot drop to the ground.

"What do you want with me?" I demanded.

The guy chuckled.

"I just saved your life, and now you're accusing me of holding you against your will. Gee, that's pretty harsh don't you think?" He taunted.

His mouth had curved up in a creepy smirk, and I was pretty convinced that this guy was bad news.

"I demand that you release me right now!" I shouted.

Bitter thought filled my head. _"Who does this guy think he is? Why is he holding me hostage? What reason does he have to save me?"_

His smile faded and he lowered his head so that his bangs covered his eyes.

"What a disappointment. I was hoping to get more time with you," he said sadly, shaking his head.

"Huh?" I asked in confusion.

Without warning, he snapped his head up. An evil grin spread across his face.

"Suit yourself then!" He shouted demonically. He snapped his fingers and the birds let go of my clothing.

"Ahhhhh!" I was falling. Again. I closed my eyes and prepared for the hard impact with the sidewalk when…

"Gotcha," he said in a teasing way.

"W-What?" I asked cautiously. Sweat dripped from my face as I opened my eyes to look down. About an inch away from my nose was the sidewalk.

"Oh my god," I said in a panicking tone.

"Well princess, do you want to land on your feet or head?" he asked in a taunting way.

Pulling my head up, I took a good look at him first. He was grinning devilishly ear to ear. His left hand had my ankle while the right was gripping the pole connecting the light to the main post. I scanned the surrounding area for other people around here; however, all I saw were the birds. There were more birds and they were everywhere now, on the lamp post, on building, in trees. They were really just freaking me out. I got the feeling that he liked me being resentful towards him. It was if he did all those things just to get me furious and angry at him.

"Can you get me on my feet?" I asked in the nicest way possible through my gritted teeth.

"Say please," he replied

"_Oh yeah right. Like that would ever happen. Not in a million years!" _I thought angrily to myself.

"Please?" I managed to choke out.

"As you wish, princess," he then respectfully replied. He whipped me by my ankle back up into the air, above the post.

"Are you nuts?" I screamed at him.

He ignored me, pulled himself over top of the post, and bolted off the end. Leaping gracefully through the air, he caught me in his arms and landed smoothly on the sidewalk without any uncertainty at all. He placed me on the ground and held me closer with his arm around my shoulder. Using his thumb and first finger, he tilted my chin up so I could look him in the eyes. His smile had changed to a gentle and curved one. I just sat there gaping at what he just did, unsure of what to say.

"Y-Your name," I managed to stutter.

"What about it?" he asked. His head was moving closer to mine, and I could smell something on him. Mint and oil? Those two smells weren't normally found together.

"What is it?" I asked. My thoughts were getting heavy with his presence closing in on me.

"Yusei," he whispered. He was so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. Logic was smothered by this feeling of calm in his voice.

"Yu-sei…" I whispered back. He drew me in close and crushed his lips gently onto mine.

I felt this overwhelming sense of security, like he could protect me from anything. My brain told me this was wrong, but my heart held its own opinion. I didn't resist, but it was more like I couldn't. Yusei's power over me was too great, and I felt myself loosing the strength and will to fight back. Suddenly, he pulled back.

"No, this isn't right. I shouldn't do this," he said out loud to himself.

He began to shake my shoulders in a vigorous manor.

"Akiza!" he shouted.

I couldn't hear him. Whatever his kiss had done to me, my brain was completely useless. I could only lay there and stare into space.

"Dammit Akiza, snap out of it!" he screamed.

Eventually Yusei realized that his efforts were of little use. He laid my body on the ground, on my side. He then sat back on his heels and sighed.

"Man! You sure know how to screw with the mind of every girl you meet, don't you?"

Came a crafty voice from the shadows.

"What do you want Crow?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

Yusei stood up and faced the shadowy doorway in which crow was standing in. Crow had on a black sleeveless shirt with a brown leather sleeveless jacket over top. He was also wearing jeans and brown boots to match. Crow's messy orange hair stuck out over top of his headband, and his sleet grey eyes narrowed in on Yusei. He has a grin on his face and had his arms crossed over his chest in a prideful way. Caws of many birds could be heard around him, but they were different from the one's Yusei could command.

"I'm here for the girl's soul, so all your spell did was make my job easier for me," he replied smugly, "C'mon Yus, just hand her over and make my job easier ok?"

Yusei stiffened into a battle stance. Crow frowned at his action and walked into the light of the street lamps.

"Don't make me fight you," Crow warned.

"Sorry Crow, but I'm not about to give up on her," he stated firmly.

"So you'd save a girl from her death, but not your own family," he said rudely.

"Shut up!" Yusei yelled, tightening his fist, "They chose to follow under the Organization's command, not me!"

"Humph. Guess you aren't going to be convinced," he said in a grumpy tone.

Out of his back, unfolded two wings made of black feathers. Hundreds of black birds swarmed behind him in an angry flock. Yusei merely snapped his fingers and his own flock of birds came to his side. His however, was much smaller than Crow's.

"Get ready," Crow threatened, his facial expression tightening in a concentrated way.

"Bring it," Yusei challenged.

"_Yusei, whatever happens ,please don't get yourself killed," _I pleaded to him silently in my mind. _"Yu…sei."_

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><p>Sorry if the romance was a little ovverkill. I had several ideas, but I liked this one the best.<p>

I also made my first cliffhanger! Yay me!

Have fun reading this :D


	3. Wounds of the Heart

**I'm dedicating the next two chapters to Darkness Bandit for their awesome review.**

**This chapter contains a lot of gore and blood so a warning to smaller children. If you are not a small child, then I think you can handle it.**

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><p><strong>Wounds of the Heart<strong>

I blacked out. Well, I mean I'm pretty sure that's what happened. The last thing I remember is seeing Yusei stand off against this guy named Crow. They both acted like they were going to kill each other.

"_Were they fighting over me?" _I thought. That isn't likely. I hate Yusei for all he's put me through. It serves him right for getting dragged into a fight.

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><p>Meanwhile…<p>

"Ugh!" Crow gasped as Yusei punched him in the gut for the second time.

"You're getting worse Crow. I'm not surprised," Yusei taunted.

Crow was now on his knees, with one arm over his stomach to prevent any more fatal hits. He had already pulled in his wings, but even with less weight to hold him down, he was doing pretty badly. The fight had been going on for at least ten minutes now, with no sign of either of them giving up. Crow had thrown the most punches, but Yusei had the most hits. While Crow attacked in a flurry of punches, Yusei cleverly dodged them and snuck his own right through one of Crow's opening spots. However, Crow wasn't always the one to use fists as a weapon.

"I see how it is," Crow laughed slyly, "Your best strength is hand to hand combat. Take that away, and those petty ravens of yours don't stand a chance!"

"We'll see about that," Yusei replied.

Crow held his arm up in the air, and his crows began to encircle it in a giant whirling vortex. The wind picked up drastically; papers were sucked in and shredded into tiny flakes, street sign began to bend, and lamps flickered from the wind pulling on the power lines. Yusei shifted his stance to better his resistance against the wind.

"This is the end Yusei!" Crow screamed over the wind, "Black Feather Burst!"

Crow pointed his other arm at Yusei, and they all shot off at rapid speed. About two hundred birds were coming down on him with their sharp beaks and…

"Caaaaw!" came the shrill cry of crows.

A raven had come in on the side and speared at least seven, if not more crows in the front line. The dead bodies crumpled to the ground with their feathers at twisted angles and blood in small puddles around their wounds. Yusei grinned devilishly at Crow's foolishness. He neglected to judge the strength of a raven to a crow. Ravens were as large as a hawk, and had bigger talons and beaks. While Yusei has far less than Crow's army; his were stronger. The crows might have been in large numbers, but their strength paled in comparison to the ravens' cunning tactics. Another thirty crows were slayed as Yusei's ravens held the lines of crows back.

"Don't judge my strength on how many birds I command," Yusei lectured.

Crow scowled at this remark. Yes, he hadn't remembered to take consideration on just how strong Yusei was. But that didn't mean that his "army" tactic was the only one. Akiza was his real target, and he knew exactly how to get at her. Crow whistled in code and the crows stopped charging. The ravens were still content on taking them out, so they proceeded to charge the mass of birds on their own.

"What the-?" Yusei said in confusion. The crows had grabbed the raves in their claws, and were now trying to tear their wings off.

"Take this," crow said, smiling in a way that would make even the toughest adult afraid.

Out of the sky came five crows, ones that Yusei had neglected to keep an eye on. They were even faster than the ones before.

"_Something isn't right about their trajectory," _Yusei thought. Then the realization hit him.

"Akiza!" he screamed.

She didn't hear him. She couldn't; her mind was blank from the spell Yusei had put on her.

Yusei ran over to where Akiza was laying and positioned his arm right in font of the crows. Three of them struck his arm and sunk their sharp beaks deep into his flesh. Blood poured from the wounds and stained his jacket. Yusei cursed under his breath.

"Stupid birds," he muttered as he swung his arm back, throwing off the crows.

Blood dripped in more of a steady flow off of his arm. The puncture wounds weren't helping his problems at all.

"Don't take your eye off the sky," Crow taunted.

"_The other two…"_ He remembered.

Yusei's eyes went wide, as the last two crows ripped through his shoulders, tearing the muscle and causing even more bleeding. Yusei sank to his knees, and grasped his one shoulder with his good arm.

"Damn you Crow," Yusei cursed.

He knew now. There was only one way to end this. Yusei stood up, his eyes glowing in hatred. Crow would not be forgiven. Not now, and not ever. Crow looked up at Yusei in confusion. He had changed drastically, Crow could tell. Gone were the taunts and teasing used to lure people into his trap. His sweetness has peeled away, revealing bitter feelings underneath. Yusei charged, moving at a speed Crow never thought was possible. A flash of silver glinted before Crow's eyes: he knew what was coming next. In seconds, Yusei stood in front of him holding his silver knife which he carried with him on his belt. He quickly thrust the sharp point into crow's side. It sliced cleanly through his flesh causing a small wave of blood to pour out.

"You're lucky," Yusei said.

Crow spit up blood as Yusei removed the knife. The wound was bleeding profusely. It was not fatal however, because no organs had been punctured. The ravens finished off the crows as Yusei walked back over to Akiza. She was still unconscious, and he was thankful for that. It would ruin her image of him if she saw that fight. Dead carcasses of birds and splatters of blood were everywhere.

"This isn't over," Crow threatened, as he retreated into the shadows, "Not by a long shot."

Yusei knew it was pointless to chase him now, he'd lost too much blood anyway. Using his teeth, Yusei pulled off his gloves and gently picked up Akiza's body, being careful not to get any blood on her. As silently as the wind, he ran off with her in to the city streets.

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><p>"<em>Ah, my head is killing me," <em>I thought. I opened my eyes to find myself staring at the ceiling. Wait, the ceiling?

"Morning princess, how was your sleep?" came a voice from the other side of my room.

I sat up terrified and shocked by the voice I heard. Across from me on the other side of my bedroom, stood Yusei with his arms over his chest, looking just as haughty as ever.

He was grinning from ear to ear and I could tell he was impressed by my sudden reaction.

"You-You-You-," I stuttered, pointing at Yusei.

He sighed and said to me, "Looks like we need to give you a lesson on my name. It's not Yu, it's Yu-sei. Got it? Yu-Sei."

I did an angry face palm on my forehead. Of course I knew his name. He was obviously toying with me. My mind flashed and I instantly thought of last night.

"_What happened to me?" _

"So are you just going to sit there or what?" Yusei asked. He seemed to be annoyed waiting for me. That's it. Last straw. I picked up one of my shoes lying on the floor and chucked it at him. I thought he was going to catch it, but he didn't and so it ended with a…

"Ahhh! My face!" he cried out in pain.

I jumped out of bed and ran over to where Yusei was holding his nose in pain. Apparently, I threw it too hard and it hit his nose, causing it to bleed.

"Oh my gosh, I'm really sorry!" I apologized.

"_Great. First I get tortured by him, then put under a spell, and finally I get so angry that I hit him with a shoe." _

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. I think…" he said trying to reassure me.

I wasn't buying it. Something about his jacket was wrong. There were tear markings and underneath was a reddish cloth on his skin.

"Hey, can you do something for me?" I asked cautiously.

"Like what?" Yusei questioned back. He was staring at me in suspicion now. His red eyes were gleaming, kind of like when I first saw him. It scared me, but this time I wasn't going to back down.

"Take off your jacket," I said in an almost commanding way.

Yusei shifted position, seeming to be uncomfortable in this situation.

"Well?" I asked impatiently.

"Well what?"

"Are you going to take it off or not?" I said in frustration.

"So you want me to strip for you princess, is that it?" He asked, in a somewhat disturbingly serious manner. I growled at him.

"You're such a pervert!" I yelled back.

I hit him on his right arm. He grimaced at the pain. I realized then that his condition was worse than I thought. I didn't hit him hard, just like a friend would hit another in a joking way.

"Yusei…" I began to plead.

"_Please!" _I remembered, _"Yusei had me say please and then he did what I asked him to do!"_

"…Please take off your jacket."

And so he did. Gently pulling his jacket off his shoulders, I gasped at what I saw. There were wounds. Big ones. They weren't cleaned I could see that. The reddish color underneath the jacket was the dried blood on makeshift gauze. Yusei had obviously tried to patch himself up, but he did a horrible job.

"You need to sit down," I said without a second thought.

I gently guided his good arm and the rest of him onto the chair by my desk. I took his jacket and placed it on my bed.

"I'll be right back with medical supplies," I assured him.

"You do that," he said back.

As I walked down the hall, a wave of guilt hit me. I was so mean to him and all Yusei was trying to do was help me. In the bathroom closet, I pulled out a bottle of cleansing alcohol, gauze, and some paper tape to hold the gauze to his skin. When I got back, he was still sitting. Almost as if he was waiting for me to return. His eyes were softer now, he was showing weakness. Something that I never thought that I'd see. I placed the supplies on the desk and peeled the soiled fabric off his shoulders. It looked really bad, but I wasn't sure if it was infected or not. A little bit of muscle was exposed. I took a cotton ball and dipped it in alcohol. As I rubbed it against the cuts, Yusei muscles twitched. He was trying not to cry out in pain. I decided to try and clear his mind of the pain with questions.

"So who's this Crow guy from yesterday?" I asked.

"Old friend," he replied.

"Was it hard to fight him then?"

"Not really."

"Why's that?"

"We disagreed on too many things. I'm not going to forgive him for what he did."

I stopped rubbing.

"_What he did? Like, an unforgivable crime? Or maybe he hurt Yusei himself."_

"Umm, Akiza can you finish cleaning the wounds before you burn my shoulder off?" he asked in a painful tone.

"Oh right! Sorry," I said, moving on to clean the other.

We were both silent after that. I felt that if I probed his mind too much, then he'd come to resent me. I finished wrapping his shoulders and did a quick run on his right arm. Yusei's wounds weren't infected, just messy and a little hard to clean. Now that I could get a better look at him, he was actually kind of well…attractive. He had slender arms and a skinny waist, is muscles were actually tone nicely. It was probably because of all the exercising he did. Besides that, his eyes showed something else. Sadness. He had totally changed his tone after the fight he had. I thought all Yusei wanted to do was torture me, but it looked as if he had feelings for me.

Feelings. I think I like that.

I yawned. Whatever effects the spell had, they were catching up with my body. I felt drowsy and slow. Yusei had already falling asleep, my guess was from the intense fighting. I climbed into bed. At least it was Saturday, or at least I thought. A few seconds later, both Yusei and I had fallen into a deep and peaceful slumber.

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><p>Next chapter will be updated anywhere between 9-10 pm tonight. Apparently my mom thinks spring break means spring cleaning.<p>

Sorry if I got this out so late I'll try to get chap 5 and 6 out sooner.


	4. High School Drama

**Sorry, shorter chapter. I was stuck traveling to my grandma's and she has one computer. Then my sibblings all wanted to play it and i had to wait like an hour.**

**This chapter involves a new person and new personalities.**

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><p><strong>High School Drama<strong>

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

"_Ugh, not now. Can't school start just a little later?"_

"School!" I cried out in surprise as I sat up quickly.

"Hey princess," came Yusei's voice from the far corner of my room.

"Sorry Yusei, but I have to get ready!" I cried out as I hopped out of bed.

As luck would have it, my foot got caught in the covers and I came crashing to the floor.

"Oh wow," I moaned.

The last thing that I needed was a bruise on my face before school. Yusei walked over and grabbed my arm to help me up. I slowly rose to my feet as I slightly leaned on him for support.

"Th-Thanks," I stuttered.

I reached into my closet and pulled out my school uniform. I decided to use the bathroom to chance. Partially because of HIM being in my room, and also because I could brush my hair and my teeth too. I quickly changed into my magenta school blazer and matching skirt. I pulled on black leggings and a pair of black dress shoes.

"_Stupid dress code," _I thought, _"It reminds me how much I look just like a witch."_

I finished brushing my hair and placing my favorite metal hair clip in my hair to hold back my bangs. Walking out of the bathroom, I strode over and opened my bedroom door to grab my homework. What I saw next could not have been worse. I opened the door to find Yusei changing. And he was well… not wearing anything. I covered my eyes, screamed, and shut the door in fear.

"What's wrong princess? I thought you liked my figure," Yusei smirked from the other side of the door.

"You sick pervert!" I shouted.

I crouched at the bottom of the door and tried to breathe deeply. I was basically scarred for life. I was scared to look back inside so I called to Yusei.

"Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, it's cool," he replied calmly.

I couldn't believe that guy. The nerve of him, changing in _my_ bedroom. I felt the door pull back, but it was too late for me to steady myself. I fell backwards onto the floor and found myself staring at Yusei's face.

"You want a hand?" he asked, extending his own.

I grabbed his hand and turned myself over.

"_Why is he acting this nice? Just a minute ago, he was selfish, rude, and totally inappropriate. What changed?"_ I thought.

His appearance changed drastically from yesterday. Today he had on a blue jacket with amber gems on his shoulders. His undershirt was black with a red line picture of what looked like a dragon's head. Yusei's gloves were brown with gems on them as well. He still wore his black pants, but his boots were brown now and they had the same amber gems on them as his jacket. Also his hair stripes were now yellow and his eyes were…blue? Yeah, blue. Like a dark ocean or a September sky. They were calming, unlike the red ones that stirred up trouble.

I got to my feet, walked past Yusei and grabbed my shoulder bag for my homework. I turned to find a paper being held in front of my face. I grabbed it and move it away to focus on the words.

"…_Your transfer was accepted and the student: YUSEI FUDO will now be attending New Domino High…"_

"New Domino High!" I cried out in shock. "How the hell did you learn the name of my school? And how did you get a transfer today?"

"I did it this morning," he said. Yusei shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal.

"You were looking at my uniform? You're such a per-," I began.

"On your desk," he interrupted.

"Wha-?"

"Your homework was sitting out, and one of your textbooks had the name of your school on it," Yusei explained.

"Oh. Sorry for being so…accusative," I apologized.

"Nah, it's fine," he said.

"_Yusei's so different; he's got a kind and carefree nature now. I think it's a nice change." _I thought happily.

I glanced at the clock. It read 7:43 AM. Panic struck me; I had seven minutes to get to school or I'd get a detention for being late.

"Yusei, come on! We have to get to school or we'll get detention for being late," I said in a panic as I ran down the stairs and to the front door.

"Hey, where are your parents?" he asked.

"On a business trip. I'm just lucky they don't know you're here," I explained.

Outside, I heard the bus I took downtown pulling away from the bus stop. I unlocked the door and rushed outside only to find it already halfway down the street.

"Damn it. How are we supposed to get to school now?" I sighed.

Suddenly, I felt myself being lifted off the ground. Yusei was carrying me in his arms and smiling.

"Hold on tight," he said.

He took off in a burst of speed along the road. I had to hug his neck in order to keep myself from falling. We passed over miles of road, and I'm pretty sure a few cars as well. Even without his dark appearance, Yusei still had his supernatural strength and speed at his use. Then he stopped, and I couldn't believe where we were. It was the school courtyard, right by my class I had in the morning. I checked my watch. It read 7:45 AM.

"Two minutes? You got me here in two minutes?" I said in surprise.

"Yeah, not bad huh?" Yusei gasped between breaths.

"You should take a rest first; you look pretty exhausted," I told him.

"Ok, I'll just be a minute," he replied, taking a seat under the large oak tree.

I opened the closest door to the school and walked over to where my locker was. Using my combination, I opened my locker to place my books inside. I heard a giggle coming from beside me. A hand came over and slammed my door shut. A blond haired girl was smirking at me. Behind her were two girls with long black hair, one with glasses and one with emerald eyes.

"What do you want Sherry?" I asked in annoyance.

"Hand it over," she commanded, holding out her hand.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I protested, trying to turn away.

Sherry grabbed my shoulder in refusal of letting me get off so easily. I turned to protest again, but what met my face was a fist. Blood ran out off my mouth in a thin line. Not a lot, but it was still painful. Sherry then pushed my body onto the floor and planted her foot firmly on my head.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, grimacing in pain.

"Because little girls like you need to learn their places," she threatened.

The two black haired girls smiled and threw their books onto my back, causing me to exhale sharply. Sherry ground her foot on my head, and even though I tried to find someone to help, they had all gone to class by now.

"Some-body please…," I begged.

"No one can hear you!" Sherry said as she kicked my face for the last time.

My nose began to bleed and I was pretty sure that there were at least five or six bad bruises on me. I could only lie there in pain and I was pretty sure that I would get detention for being late. So I did the only logical thing in a time like this. I began to cry.

"Hey, Akiza," came a gentle voice above me.

"Yu-sei?" I asked. My vision was blurred from my tears, but I could see his face and the concerned look he had in his eyes.

Yusei helped me sit up, and with a swift movement, cradled me in his arms. That did it. I broke down and cried even harder. A teacher came out of their class to see what the problem was. When she saw me, she instructed Yusei to carry me to the nurse. As he walked down the hallway, Yusei whispered softly in my ear.

"The time has come," he whispered.

"_Time? Time for what?" _I thought.

"Make the covenant, and I'll be there for you,"

"The covenant?" I asked softly.

"Hold out your hand," He commanded in a soft voice.

I did as I was told. Yusei stopped walking, and time began to slow. He bent down and kissed my hand softly. Then I felt it. Pain. A burning pain in my hand that caused me to clutch it to my chest.

"Let it burn," Yusei said. His voice was terrifying now, harder and violent. His eyes had changed to red and they shone with bright bloodlust.

I held my hand back out as a red mark appeared on it. It was a v shaped line with a circle around it. Little dots were placed on each cardinal direction of the circle. I was horrified, but too scared to say anything. All I could do was lie in Yusei's arms and watch the mark on my hand glow. It hurt for a few more seconds, but then stopped and disappeared altogether.

"What did you do?" I asked meekly.

"Made you my princess," he said slyly, grinning the devilish way he did the night I met him.

Time shifted back into normal speed, and Yusei looked ahead to continue his task to deliver me to the nurse.

"_Who are you?" _I questioned. I felt weak; the mark's power was sapping my own strength. Pretty soon, I found myself drifting off into sleep once again.

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><p>This probably brought more questions than answers, but it's the best I got with the little time I had.<p>

to Darkness Bandit: Sorry about your break, but I thank you for your reviews.

Everyone: Read and Review please! I'll have another chapter by tomorrow!

P.S. Next chapter is called "Reasons and Treason" It'll pretty much explain everything going on so far.


	5. Reasons and Treasons

**Happy Easter everyone! Sorry for the wait, but I had well, easter to celebrate.**

**This should clear up most of the questions or at least I think. It's got a LOT of dialogue.**

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><p><strong>Reasons and Treason<strong>

"_So many questions. I need answers,"_ I thought to myself.

Even in sleep, my mind was racing. Things had happened to quickly in too little time. Yusei was hiding something; I knew that.

"Akiza, are you ok?"

I woke up with a start, only to find my face in a lot of pain. My back hurt pretty bad too, on account of the books that were dropped on it. I looked around. I'm pretty sure that I was in the nurse's office. There were posters portraying healthy decisions on the wall, and I had been sleeping on one of those single person infirmary beds. Yusei was still here for some reason though. I glanced at Yusei. He had an expression of concern mixed with relief on his face. I was thoroughly surprised. After all, Yusei was this totally different person last night. There was a mirror on the far wall. I saw the bruises on my face and instantly put my hand to my face. When I touched it, I winced in pain.

"Hey, you shouldn't do that," Yusei scolded, pulling my hand gently away from my face.

I looked in surprise at him, but I let him place my hand back onto my lap. Just then the nurse walked in. She said I would be ok, just as long as I didn't do anything to hurt my face for a few weeks. I sighed.

"_Try telling that to Sherry," _

Sherry had been the school bully ever since she had to transfer to New Domino High. Her parents were rich aristocrats and she thought that because of that, she could do anything she wanted to. I hated her for being so stuck up.

"Akiza, since you slept for a while, I think the next class that we have is lunch," he explained.

Lunch. I sweated at the word. Crap. Now everyone's going to know about Sherry's work. I left the nurses office with Yusei and we both made our way to our lockers. Mine was farther away from his, so I walked farther ahead. Not only did I place my books in my locker, but I also took another look at my face. A bruise on my right cheek, one by my ear, and a large bump on the back of my head. Before I knew it, a chilling voice whispered in my ear:

"I'll fix it for you princess,"

I whirled around to face Yusei, but when I did, he locked lips with mine. We stood like that for a few seconds, and then he pulled back and continued towards the cafeteria as if nothing odd had happened at all. The whole experience had left me speechless, but as I looked at myself in the mirror again, I noticed that the bruises were gone. Not just visibility on the skin, but they were physically gone. I could touch my cheek without a problem.

"_Yusei. I need to thank him," _I realized.

I ran off towards the cafeteria to have lunch with my friends. For the rest of the day all I could think about was how to say thanks to Yusei. During math I was so lost in thought that when Mr. Dougan asked me a question I panicked and guessed 17. He scolded me on how I was supposed to explain how to square fractions. I blushed and the whole class started laughing at me.

When it was finally the end of the school day, I found Yusei in the exact same spot as this morning. He was sitting under the oak tree, reclining back on its trunk. I slowly walked over and sat next to him.

"_Come on Akiza, you can do it. Just ask him what you want and get it over with!" _my mind told me.

To be honest though, I was a little frightened of what the outcome would be. What if he got angry and did something horrible to me or he could withdraw and never talk to me again. It wouldn't be hard for him. So I just came out with it all at once.

"Yusei, I want to know what's going on," I said firmly.

He put on that devilish smile again and I was sure that my answers wouldn't be as nice as I wanted them to be.

"So you want to know the truth?" He asked slyly.

I nodded.

"Fine then, ask what you want. However, there are certain questions that I won't answer just to be clear with you," Yusei explained.

I started with Yusei's past.

"Who are you?"

"I'm known as Yusei or as the Raven King if you haven't already guessed."

"Ok, but I also mean _what_ are you?"

"You could say that I'm a demy-god."

"Is that where you get your powers from?'

"Sort of."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"Mine."

He grinned, but all I did was shake my head in annoyance.

"What about Crow? Who's he?"

"An old friend."

"How did he get those wings?"

"Long story."

"I've got time."

It was close to sunset, but I didn't care. All I could think about was how close I was to getting the answers I wanted. Yusei thought carefully about it for a minute, but he just sighed and began his story.

"It was not too long ago, maybe a year. I was living with my parents in the research tower of New Domino City. They were working on this project with human genetics or something. Then there was that one night, the one with the icy cold wind and rain that pounded madly against the buildings. I was hanging out with Crow and my other friend named Jack Atlas in the western residential region. We were just talking and goofing off when they came. Securities. They dragged all of us to a secret research facility. It was hell in there Akiza. They injected out bodies with DNA of different animals hoping to make the perfect human-animal fighting machine. Horrible test were done every hour, some days having twenty or so test in a row."

"What about your parents? Wouldn't they have tried to stop it?"

Yusei stared at me in anger so intense, I felt as though he was going to slaughter me at any second like he did with the birds. His eyes had changed to red now, the ones that were filled with the deepest hatred. He said his next words slowly and angrily:

"My parents were the ones who operated the injections and tests on me."

I stared at him in shock. I wasn't expecting his parents to be the ones that made him this way.

"So, umm which animal did you get?" I asked nervously.

"No animal. Crow got part crow and part hawk if I remember correctly."

"And Jack?"

"Eagle. At least 50% of his DNA was replaced I think."

"What exactly did you get?"

"A monster's."

"Huh?"

"Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca. It's like a giant evil bird god."

"Is that why you said you were a demy-god?'

"Yeah."

"That's why the ravens follow you, right?"

"Not necessarily. I raised most of them myself. The dark power is just what gives them their extra strength."

"Did you ever have wings before now?"

"At one time I did."

I paused for a minute to let the information sink in. Yusei seemed to be a little uncomfortable in this situation, but I wanted to know. I was almost done with my questions and I prayed that he'd be willing to answer my last few.

"What's the Organization?"

"It was the place where we received orders. A man named Goodwin ran it."

"Did you ever see what he looked like?"

"No. All orders from him were sent through his messengers. Crow saw him once, but he never told me anything about him."

"Well if you work for them, why are you here?"

"Used to work for them. I escaped because of how they were using us."

"What do you mean "using"?"

"We'd slaughter hundreds of people if that's what Goodwin wanted. He had complete control over our actions. One day something finally snapped for me and I made my escape from that hellish place. Before I left, I snuck into the research center and killed both of my parents."

"What did you do after that?"

"I wandered lost for a few days around the city. My freedom had come with a price. One night, Jack, Crow, and two other of the half bird-humans tracked me down. They cornered me and then tore my wings right off my back. It was agonizing pain and I lost at least half of my blood from the wounds."

I gasped. This story was getting worse and worse. It made me feel sad, sick, and sorry for Yusei all at the same time.

"How did you survive?"

"The Demon Bird saved me."

"The immortal?"

"Yeah, but it likes that name better."

"What did you agree to?"

"Give him half my soul."

"You only have half of a soul?"

"No, it's a little different than that. See, I can be this way during the day, but when the sun finally fades the Demon takes over my personality."

"_Then it all makes sense now! Why Yusei is so different in the morning and why his eyes change colors like that." _I realized.

I decided to change subjects to what happened to me.

"What's this mark for?"

"It's a symbol of your ownership of me."

"Ownership?"

"Being the Raven King means that I have to choose a counterpart or a Queen if you prefer."

"So I'm your Queen?"

"Princess. Any woman under 20 is considered a princess."

"You're allowed to have a girl younger than that?"

He shrugged.

"It's not illegal."

"So what do I have to do?"

"Not much, you're a medium. You help release and control my powers."

"Isn't that more like you controlling me?"

"No, because you're the one who bends my power to your will," Yusei explained.

"So then, this mark…" I said, staring at the hand where I had seen the mark.

"…Is what connects us." Yusei finished as he interlocked his fingers into mine.

I gasped in surprise to see that the hand was a black gloved instead of brown. It only meant one thing.

"_When the sunlight fades…"_ I thought back to what Yusei had said, _"The Demon take over."_ It was already past sunset.

"Hiya princess," Yusei said with a devilish smirk on his face.

I scowled. Even though it was Yusei, his darker side was still slightly repulsive to me. He pulled me to my feet and pinned me to the tree by my wrists. He leaned his head in close to mine.

"I have a secret to show you," he whispered in my ear.

"Secret?" I asked in surprise.

He pulled back and repositioned his hand on my left wrist. He began to pull me towards the street. In a panic, I dug my heels back into the ground.

"What? Don't you trust me?" he asked slyly.

"I-I do but…" I began.

"Then let's go," he insisted harshly, pulling me along.

"_I guess that it wouldn't hurt…," _I thought.

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><p>Hope this clears things up a bit more.<p>

Next Chapter: Dangers of the Dark

See you all tomorrow!


	6. Dangers of the Dark

**Heyy, made this while you were all at school. Took me a while, but i think you'll enjoy it :D**

**disclaimer: I do not own any music written or performed by Britney Spears, nor do i take credit for any or all parts of it.**

**You'll see why.**

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><p><strong>Dangers of the Dark<strong>

"Yusei! Slow down!" I yelled at him.

At first he had been dragging me off campus, but once we hit the city streets he shot off into a sprint and I had to try as hard as I could to keep up. When we finally stopped running, Yusei let go of my wrist and I bent over trying to catch my breath.

"What's the matter princess?" He asked in a snobby way, "A little physical exercise too much for you?"

"When you use the dark power it is." I replied.

I was pretty angry at Yusei right now. He knows that his inhuman powers are far above my capability. Not to mention we had hit the downtown streets, a dangerous part for young girls to be. Law enforcement was even scared to send their officers down here. I had heard that one security guard was beaten to death by a bunch of thugs, and then the rest of his family was murdered the following night. Not so nice things to think about.

"Come on, or we'll miss out on all the fun," Yusei complained, as he grabbed my wrist again and dragged me inside a large building. Bright lights and loud music flooded my senses. There were mostly teenagers here, and a lot of them were drinking. After seeing the band, I realized just what this place was.

"_A club. Looks like a pretty big one at that." _

There were probably at least fifty or so people on the crowded dance floor. Somebody started playing "Hold It Against Me" by Britney Spears, so Yusei decided to drag me center floor where the nearest exit was thirty feet away. Great. Just my luck to be stuck with some guy who wanted to torture me until I couln't stand it any longer.

"Maybe this isn't such a good..." I never got to finish my sentence.

Yusei pulled my body into his, and wrapped his lean arms around me. He bent his head down to reach mine and kissed me on the lips. Warmth and the slightest bit of pleasure flooded my senses, and time seemed to slow down around us.

"…_'Cause you feel like paradise…" _went the music.

However, my logic kicked in and I shoved Yusei away from me; breaking the seal that seemed to bind us for the moment.

"Don't ever do that again!" I lectured in disgust.

I spun on my heel away from him. Who does he think he is anyway? That no good, ungrateful, disrespectful jerk! I just wanted to have a normal life with a normal family and a normal set of friends. I began pushing myself through the crowd in an attempt to find an exit to this horrid place.

"Akiza, Wait!" Yusei called'

His voice sounded fuzzy and far away. But I kept pushing myself deeper into the crowd, determined to get away if it was the last thing I ever did.

"Owww!" I cried in pain as something sharp pierced my arm. I looked back to see a small dart in my forearm. I reached over and pulled it out, but as I did my head felt lighter. The world began to blur around me and I struggled to stay on my feet.

"Yu-sei..." I whispered.

Everything became black and, I fell backwards into his arms.

No, not Yusei's but Crow's. He was grinning with a devious smile on his face.

"Let's put Yusei's loyalty to the test, shall we _princess_?" he whispered.

Crow slung my limp body over his shoulder and walked slowly into the shadows.

The next thing that came to my memory was seeing the bright light in my face.

"Huh?" I asked in curiosity.

I held my right arm over my eyes to shield them from the intense light.

"Finally awake I see?" came a voice from the shadows.

I sat up in a panic. I was sitting under a spotlight of some sort in an abandoned building. There wasn't a person to be seen in miles. I was down in the factory part of the city, and everyone who worked here had already gone home.

"_Yusei? No, it's not him. The voice is too high. But what about…"_

"Well hello there, Akiza," Crow sneered.

He was sitting on a crate with one leg tucked into his chest; the other helping to steady himself on the floor. Crow had the demonic grin on his face and his slate gray eyes sliced right through mine, sinking fear into the deepest parts of my heart. His crows were everywhere around him, and looking out into the empty room, I could see dozens more on the machinery. Their ruby eyes shining through the darkness, their shrill cries, and the way they clacked their beaks, almost like they were waiting for something.

"What do you want?" I asked in annoyance.

"I want to settle the score," he replied in a nasty way.

I stood up in anger. If this was about Yusei, then Crow should have him kidnapped instead of me. I turned to leave, but as I did Crow caught my wrist in his tight grip.

"We can't have you leaving Akiza, the party's only just begun," he said with a sly smile across his face. Crow tightened his grip on my wrist, causing me great agony. I turned back to him and grabbed his wrist, trying to pry myself loose.

"Oww, let go already! You're going to break my wrist!" I cried in pain.

Crow's smiled only deepened. I panicked. He _wanted _to break it. And he did. Only a few seconds later, the bones in my wrist cracked and I cried out in pain. Crow let go after that and I crumpled to the ground on my knees, holding my hand and wrist gingerly to my chest.

Crow squatted on his heels, and used his thumb and forefinger to tilt my head up so that my eyes were level with his. His gaze was stone now, hard and unforgiving.

"Call him." He demanded.

"What?" I asked. I had no clue what he was talking about.

"_Call him? Call Yusei? But how?"_

"So you don't know?" he asked in disappointment.

I shook my head slowly. Crow was really frightening me now. He seemed even darker than Yusei.

"That mark you have on your hand…" he began.

"...is your symbol of ownership. You can request anything of Yusei, and he has to do it, so long as you're the one with the mark."

"Like, having control over him?"

Crow nodded. He let go of me and stood up, towering above my head.

"Bring him here. Now."

Crow was now commanding me. But I couldn't, not that I wasn't going to. I had no clue how to get that mark to work, much less using commands.

"So that's how it's going to be?" he asked, giving me a "what are you doing" look. "Suit yourself."

Crow snapped his fingers, and immediately the numerous birds in the factory swooped down and attacked me. They pecked at my skin, clawed my hair, and drove their sharp talons into any available space they could find.

"Stop it! Get away from me!" I cried out in pain as I tried to shield myself.

"Heh, heh, heh, scream all you want _princess_, but no one will ever hear you." Crow laughed.

The birds had surrounded me now, and were circling me in a black tornado. Crow was right. There was no way I could ever escape. I could feel blood running all over me; the crows had hit me everywhere.

"Somebody…please help me…" I whispered.

Then I did the only thing I could do. I cried. Tears streamed down my face and I clutched my hand tightly to my chest, protecting the last untouched thing I had from the crows. Then out of nowhere I heard the sound.

"Schick, schick," like a knife slicing through meat. Wait, a knife?

I looked up slowly to see the rows retreating from around me. At least thirty or so were dead, lying in a trail that led right to…

"Yusei!" I cried out.

He turned his head towards me when I called his name. He had a smile on his face, not an evil one, but more of a loving smile.

"I was waiting princess." He said.

He threw down his hand with the knife in it, throwing off a dead bird carcass and cleansing the knife of the blood. A closer look revealed that it was polished silver, sharpened to a lethal point. The handle was shaped like twin roses, splitting off into two heads. It was beautiful, and yet so dangerous at the same time.

Yusei slid the knife into his pocket and walked towards me. He knelt down on one knee like a knight usually does, and took my right hand gently into his. He kissed it and then said to me,

"Your orders, Princess?"

I was surprised for a moment, with the sudden formality and all, but then I said:

"Get rid of Crow, please."

Yusei smiled in a devilish way and said,

"Thank you, Princess."

Crow was speechless at first, but he now drew out his own knife in response to my "orders."

"Oh yeah? You don't stand a chance!" he boasted.

"Get rid of Crow" is pretty blunt, wouldn't you agree?" Yusei asked.

Oh no. I knew exactly what Yusei was thinking.

For the next few minutes, Crow and Yusei fenced with their knives, each move quick and precise. Yusei slashed Crow on his arm once and his sides twice. Crow however, got one hilt-blow to Yusei's head. It was taking a pretty bad toll on his maneuverability, because Crow was able to get a knee into Yusei's stomach, making him cough up blood. He sank to his hands and knees, while Crow took his foot and stomped on his back, pushing his whole body to the ground.

Bad memories began flooding in. Sherry had done the same thing to me, and just thinking about it, made me afraid. I was scared, for both me and Yusei.

"Stop it," I whispered.

Crow ignored me and kept stamping on Yusei. I could see how much Yusei was hurting, He had his eyes closed in pain, and his hands were folded in tight fists on the ground. I couldn't take anymore.

"Stop It!" I screamed. The mark on my hand began glowing, and a red light coming from Yusei harmonized with it.

"_A medium that controls my powers…"_ I remembered Yusei telling me.

Yusei opened his eyes and grinned with the smile of a demon. Quickly flipping himself over, Yusei grabbed Crow's incoming ankle and threw him to the ground. Crow winced in pain, but things for him just got worse than a little fall. Yusei wasted no time in delivering his punches, and kicks to him, causing crow to bleed in several different places. When he was through beating him senseless, Yusei drew his knife for the final blow.

"No! Yusei don't do it, you'll be no better than him!" I protested.

"So what? Were practically the same, both monsters of altered blood," he reasoned, holding the knife to Crow's neck.

"But your different that him! You having feelings, and emotions, and…a kind heart." I reasoned back. I began to cry. I didn't want Yusei to be like this, killing off people. Even if Crow was our enemy, couldn't we just stop at scaring him away?

Yusei looked surprise at this. Not once had I ever said such nice things to him, much less admitted that I thought that. He let go of Crow and slipped the knife back into his pocket.

Then he sat down next to me, and gathered me in his arms. I hugged him, not caring whether he was a monster or not.

"Princess, It doesn't matter to me what you want. If you command me, I will do it, regardless of my feelings." He said softly.

Yusei shot a look of pure hatred at Crow, telling him to "get lost or else". Crow staggered out of the building in a panic and retreated back to the shadows. I stopped crying and just sat there, holding my left wrist which was still hurting since Crow had broken it. Yusei eyed my wrist and he knew exactly what to do. He gathered me in his arms, and carried me out of the building and into the starry night.

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><p>Yay, happy ending!<p>

Well, at least for this chapter anyway.

Next Chapter: Trial of the Dead

(No, it does not include zombies.)


	7. Trial of the Dead

**This isn't Akiza's point of view. Just wanted to tell you that.**

**You'll know who it is in five seconds, trust me. ****I was rushrd this one because I was trying to squeeze two in yesterday.**

**If you don't want to read it, just skip to the checklist at the bottom.**

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><p><strong>Trial of the Dead<strong>

I awoke to the sound of this:

"Get Up! Get Up! Get Up!"

"Shut up Erin!" I screamed, throwing the crow against the wall.

The bird hit the wall and crumpled to the floor, while the others cawed in excitement at their new meal. In five minutes, "Erin" was nothing but a skeleton on the floor. I yawned and stretched my arms over my head. Pain hit me the moment I did. Even as a super human, it still hurt to have deep cuts. I could fix bruises no problem, it's an overnight job. However, flesh wounds could take up to three days to heal. The slashes had almost completely closed up, but when I stretched they broke open again. Another bird flew across the room, and almost hit me in the face.

"Watch it birdbrain!" I screamed at him.

Sure, it was fine to have an army of crows, but when they followed you around everywhere it was REALLY annoying. There was a knock at my door, and I jumped up to open it before the birds began to squawk again.

"What is it?" I asked, eyeing the man with suspicion.

"Lord Goodwin would like to see you in his office in five minutes." The scrawny messenger man said, handing me a letter.

"Psh. Go tell Goodwin that I'll take my good old time," I told the messenger, slamming the door in his face.

"_Another day, another mission to complete."_

I slid down the door until I was sitting at the bottom. Ever since HE escaped from here, I had to take all the extra work on. Traitor.

"Damn you Yusei…" I cursed in anger under my breath.

"Damn you! Damn you!" another crow shrieked.

"Breakfast," I said, pointing to that crow.

"Mark" as he was called, also became food for the others. It didn't matter to me. I could get another one anytime I wanted. Goodwin wouldn't like it if I showed up too late, so I decided to get ready. I took a quick shower and pulled on my regular outfit of a brown short sleeved shirt, leather jacket, brown pants, and boots to bring the whole thing together, blah, blah, blah. Fashion wasn't what I was going for, just something that wouldn't drag me down.

"Work, work, work, that's all I ever do and yet, no one even appreciates what I do." I told my reflection.

I shoved on my head band to hold my orange hair up. It was cool and all, but it was annoying every time birds tried to nest in it. I turned around and slouched my arms over the sink counter. I was the least appreciated out of everyone in the Organization, and yet without me, Goodwin would have his hands full.

"Goodwin! Oh (squawk) I'm (squawk) gonna be (squawk) late!" I screamed.

Beatrice was talking again while I was, so before I left, I shoveled all _three_ skeletons into my trashcan and shut the door tightly.

After making a few twists and turns around the dark corridors, I finally made it to Goodwin's office. I pushed open the door and strode in.

"You're late, Crow," Said a gray haired man from behind a work desk, "I thought I had my messenger alert you beforehand."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I said.

Goodwin was working on papers in his office. He had on a grey suit and white gloves to match with his white undershirt.

"If he wasn't so irresponsible, then maybe I could have gotten started already," came a voice from a hooded figure in the room. They had a heavy Australian accent.

"Go figure…" I said in annoyance, rolling my eyes.

Goodwin's son, "Jack Atlas" was here, working for his father's approval no doubt. He wore a long black coat with black pants underneath. No one knew what he really looked like; his figure was always concealed by cloak he wore. Why that two tail, underachieving, no good, dirty, bastard. He had tricked me into doing his work last time, and then stole all the credit to appeal to his father's wishes.

"I have another mission for you Crow," Goodwin interrupted, "You need to track down and harvest the wandering souls of these people on this list."

"Garbage duty again?" I gasped.

"Losers get what they deserve." Jack taunted.

That's it. Meltdown…

"Bastard!" I screamed as I gave a wicked uppercut to Jack's perfect face.

"Runt!" He screamed back, proceeding with a left hook.

"Snob!" I gave a stomach punch.

"Trash!" He returned the favor.

So it went on for that for about five minutes. It was the same pattern: Name, punch, name, punch, name, punch…

"That's quite enough!" yelled Goodwin, standing up abruptly from his chair, anger in his cold grey eyes. "I will not tolerate this fighting in my office! Do you understand?"

"But father, He started it!" Jack protested.

"Oh yeah, like I'm the only one to blame." I scoffed.

Suddenly, I felt cold metal against my neck. I looked down to see the blade of a scythe up against my neck. Goodwin's scythe. He was Lord Goodwin because he was a Head Shinigami or Grimm Reaper. His job was to harvest the souls of the dead. However, because he had more "important" things to do, I was given the powers of a Shinigami and sent on collection instead of him.

"Do you understand, Crow, the importance of your job?" Goodwin asked from behind me.

"Yes sir," I replied.

"Good. Now get to it. I want all the souls brought together by sundown,"

I made a quick exit to the launch pad. From there, I unfolded my black wings and took to the sky on the fastest wind current I could find. Have you ever caught a soul? Well it isn't easy that's for sure. For one thing, they can take human appearances. AND they can also walk through walls, teleport, and fight back against you. Shinigami have the power to go through walls. Because I'm only borrowing the power, I crash right into them. The only reason that I don't get spotted by human, is because I can make my feathers refract the light and make me invisible to their sight. You collect souls by grabbing their core and stuffing it in a bag. Yeah. It's really weird alright.

At the end of the day I had collected 117 souls, with the bruises to show for it. I needed to heal so fast because of my job. In order to relax, I often sat on the roof of our old home. Yusei, Jack, and mine. Right under this store named Poppo time which sold clocks. Today, I laid down on the roof and thought about how Yusei would be doing.

Did he know that I worried about him? About Jack? Even if they were both my enemies, I still worried because, well, they were my closest friends.

"_Yusei must have a better life than me; being free to go wherever he wants. And he's even got Akiza to go with him. Let's face it; he got the girl, the freedom, and the choice to do what he wants."_

A tear rolled down my cheek, but I quickly swiped it away. Goodwin said that emotion was weakness and to beat weakness, you had to let go of all emotions. It was almost sunset, so I spread my wings and flew back to the Organization's base.

The Organization was a castle hidden on a mountain, camouflaged so that it could only be identified up close. I landed on the uppermost terrace of the castle, where Goodwin came to collect the souls from me.

"Goodwin! I brought back your souls!" I called.

Silence. Not a good sign.

Usually, Goodwin was waiting for me to bring them back, but no one was in sight today. I walked around the terrace for a few minutes, but finding nothing, I sat down on a chair and waited. The sun had already gone down, but I didn't want to go looking for trouble. Suddenly, I heard a noise. Like air being forced from…feathers! I looked up in time to see Jack's amber wings crash down on me. I tried to roll away, but I fell through the stone wall and over the edge of the terrace. It was a 150 foot plummet to the bottom. Nothing but trees and rock to break my fall.

"You idiot!" Jack cussed under his breath.

He hated when Crow was resistant. Using his extreme speed, Jack swooped down and grabbed crow's feet in his talons. Jack was part shape shifter. He was able to make his feet into eagle's talons and his hands grow talon nails out of his knuckles. Like wolverine's claws. His wings were an amber-gold, with white streaked through them.

Following his father's orders, he brought Crow to the mount plateau where the enchanted circle was set up. Crow had already gone into shock, and his eyes were now glazed over.

"_At least he isn't squirming anymore." _Jack thought.

He dropped him onto the stone and landed, placing his foot over Crow like some King who has just killed his enemy's leader.

"I brought him. Is the circle ready?" Jack impatiently asked.

"It is." Goodwin replied, walking over and picking up Crow's body. "Let's see how effective this "emotion eraser" works on him."

"_Let's see if you can worm your way out of this one, Crow." _Jack thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Not my best work. I was just trying to get info on the "Organization" into the story.<p>

I made a checklist of my major key points:

1.) Goodwin is a Grimm Reaper

2.) Jack is Goodwin's son

3.) Crow does all the work for Goodwin AND he still cares for Yusei and Jack, blah, blah

That's all. Next chapter should be more appealing:

The Spaces Between


	8. The Spaces Between

**Sorry if this was a little late. I probably needed the most description in this chapter.**

**Be prepared to be amazed!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Spaces Between<strong>

"You ok, Princess?" Yusei asked, as he gently laid me down on my bed.

He had hurried me back to my house after that attack from Crow. My wounds had stopped bleeding, but I still hurt all over. Not to mention that my wrist was still in intense pain from being broken. I felt sticky from the dried blood under my clothing, and Yusei was not in the greatest condition either. His head wound left a trail of blood running down the side of his face and around his eye. It reminded me of tears. Except, that tear was one of blood.

"I think I'll be fine." I told him. "All I need is a shower to wash this blood off…"

"Not a good idea." He interjected quickly. "If you take your clothes off, the scabs that your body was producing will peel away, causing your wounds to reopen again."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of it like that." I said softly.

"_Then what am I supposed to do about the wounds?"_

"If you want me to, I can take care of them for you princess." Yusei announced, almost answering my thoughts.

He was very serious now. His face showed a look of pride and determination. Even when he was hurting, Yusei was always more concerned for my safety than his.

"Y-yes, please." I stuttered. I wasn't so sure of him doing this, but I wanted to get better as soon as possible, so…

"As you wish." He said respectfully.

Yusei guided my shoulders back until I was lying face up on top of my bed. He then placed his right hand firmly over my eyes so that I couldn't see what he was doing. This freaked me out and I began to breathe rapidly. I fearfully asked him,

"Why are you covering my eyes?"

"I'd hate for you to see me in the form that I'm about to portray. It would ruin what you think of me as." Yusei answered calmly.

I relaxed a little, as I listened hard, trying to decipher what Yusei was doing. I heard him pull of his glove, then sort of a stretching sound, like plastic wrap being pulled against a counter edge. Then I felt something strange. It was hard like stone, but in the shape of…feathers? Whatever it was, it was moving up my body towards my head. It wasn't really touching me, more like passing over. I felt strange, like I could feel this pressure on my wounds which didn't really hurt, just felt abnormal. Whatever Yusei was doing for the bird wounds, he stopped when he got to my wrist. My left wrist had been broken by Crow, and I had no idea how Yusei planned to "take care" of it. I heard this other sound, a tinkling sort of sound, like a small silver bell. The next thing I knew, this stone claw was gripping my wrist tightly. I winced in pain, and tried to pull it back from the claw. However, it held on with an iron grip and I heard Yusei speak to me again.

"Hold still. It may be a little painful, but this will fix your wrist."

It was worse than just a little pain; it felt like my wrist was being pulled apart and having the pieces stuck back together. I gasped, trying to hold back my screams of agony. I began sweating under the stress on my wrist. Then in an instant, I felt relief. The stone claw had pulled back from my wrist, and Yusei took his hand off of my eyes. I didn't see anything different about him, just that his head wound had mysteriously disappeared.

"_It must have been that strange force. Whatever it was, it healed both me and Yusei."_

"Thank you, Yusei" I graciously thanked him.

"It's not a perfect job, so take it easy on your wrist, ok?" he instructed. "If you need anything, just shout."

Yusei walked out of my room, and down the stairs. I assumed he left me so that I could change in privacy. But first, I needed a shower. Letting the warm water run down my face, gave me a chance to clear my head. I began thinking about last night and how Yusei had forced me into a dangerous situation. Or had he? I mean, nothing bad ever happened to me while Yusei was around. Ok, so that first incident with Crow wasn't really a good example. But even in the most dangerous part of town, I was safe until I had run away. Yusei was trying to protect me, but all I was trying to do was push him away. Guilt washed over me, and I suddenly didn't feel so good anymore. I finished my shower and used a towel to dry out most of the water in my hair. I put on a mahogany long sleeved shirt and pajama pants that were comfortable enough to sleep in. The only thing that was on my mind was sleep. I slipped under the covers, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>"Akiza, wake up." Came Yusei's soft voice.<p>

He gently shook my shoulder.

"Five more minutes…" I moaned, still half asleep.

"If we wait any longer, then we'll be late." He insisted.

"_Late for what?"_

"Oh, shoot! School, that's right!" I shouted, sitting up in bed.

"Well, actually no." he said sheepishly.

"What?" I asked in confusion. Yusei had become the nicer kid this morning, his blue eyes looking down in regret.

"I sent in a form to the school saying that you had to get surgery on your wrist, so we both got the day off." Yusei admitted.

"You did what?" I cried out in surprise.

I had never been absent from school, even if I had a sickness. I came every day, even if I was forced to go back home when I did. This was like playing hooky, and I was getting dragged into these kinds of messes all over again.

"Aww come on, your wrist still isn't 100 percent better yet, and I have this friend that you should really meet." Yusei whined.

His good side was more of a child than I thought, and suddenly I longed more for the darker Yusei than ever before. I sighed. Looks like seeing this "friend" of his was the only way out of this situation.

"Fine. We'll go see this friend of yours." I told him. I had the feeling that I might regret this decision later.

Apparently, this guy lived in a forest, so we walked around on this path until we came to this huge tree. I mean, the trunk itself had to be at least a hundred feet wide or something.

"He lives here?" I asked, looking around. Not a person to be seen for miles. I was beginning to regret ever agreeing to come here with Yusei.

"Not here, here. Here. In this tree." Yusei explained, pointing to the tree's smooth trunk.

"That's crazy! Have you lost your mind or something?" I shouted.

But Yusei didn't hear me. He had placed his hands on the trunk, and was closing his eyes, almost like he was concentrating deeply. The small pendant he wore on his neck began to glow with a bright red light and the tree swayed in response to it. Suddenly, the bark on the tree peeled away, revealing a hidden staircase in the middle of the tree.

"Oh wow," I whispered in amazement.

Never before had I ever seen Yusei use his power to manipulate nature. He stepped back, and gestured for me to go in.

"Ladies first," He said, grinning happily.

I peeked down the stair way at first, but then I took a bold step and began my decent into the heart of the tree. Yusei followed behind me, his pendant still glowing like it was radioactive. When we reached the end of the staircase, I saw a soft glow of a lamp coming from the connecting room. I quickly ran down the rest of the steps, only to discover something that I had never counted on. Birds. Owls I should say, lots of them perched on various underground tree roots. The whole room was made of tightly compacted dirt walls, held back by the roots of the giant tree. Hundreds of shelves lined the walls, holing almost any kind of book imaginable. There were lamps glowing with dim light placed by each bookshelf. In the center of the room, sat a couch made of branches and cushions, with a matching chair to the side. A tall lamp sat beside a librarian's chair and reading table.

"Welcome Yusei, It's been a while hasn't it?" asked a soft and gentle voice from the middle of the room.

In the large leather librarian's chair sat a teen with icy blue hair. He was wearing circular spectacles that highlighted his hazel eyes. Around his shoulders he wore a dark grey cloak, and underneath was a lighter grey short sleeved shirt. He was wearing black jeans and grey dress shoes, like the ones that men wear to church. In his lap was a book called "Biology of Trees: Their Fabulous Plant Structures". On his shoulder perched a snowy white owl, its eyes shining like black diamonds, watching my every move.

"So true Kalin, but never less, an interesting visit." Yusei said smugly.

He reached over my shoulders and pulled me into him. Something was wrong. I knew that sly voice, this dark personality, it was that darker side of Yusei. That was impossible though, because I had left my house around eight this morning, so there was no way it was night already.

"Who's the girl?" Kalin asked, eyeing me with suspicion.

"No one you need to be concerned about." Yusei answered defiantly.

Kalin looked disappointed at his answer, because he stood up and placed the book on his reading table. Now I was worried, the owls had focused all their attention on us, and it made me uneasy. Yusei seemed to be in a worried state, because his muscles tensed when Kalin put down the book.

"Arigora" Kalin ordered.

The owls at once began to screech, in a deafening tone. I covered my ears in pain, as did Yusei. Kalin seemed to be unaffected by the noise and continued to walk slowly towards us.

"Carine, take care of Yusei for me." Kalin told the snowy owl on his shoulder.

At once, the fairly-sized owl took off into the air and head-butted Yusei into a wall. The shock made two bookshelves collapse on top of Yusei, preventing him from moving. The owls at once stopped screeching and awaited for their next order from Kalin. Kalin now stood only inches apart from me, and with Yusei trapped under the rubble of book, I had no one to protect me from any threat he might make. Kalin was staring down at me with his hazel eyes, the glasses giving off a certain glassy sheen from the lamp light.

"Tell me," He began, "What is your name, child?"

"A-Akiza" I answered, too frightened to move from where I stood.

"So tell me Akiza, why you're paired up with Yusei." He said softly.

"I-I don't really know. Yusei saved me, and then never left my side since."

"Is that it then?" Kalin asked with curiosity.

I nodded. Kalin placed his hand on my head, but I winced not knowing what he was going to do. He began stroking my hair, and I looked back at him with disbelief.

"Do you like books?" he asked in a calming voice.

"Well, yes…very much in fact." I said.

"Good." Kalin stopped stroking and walked over to the pile of rubble.

He waved his hand over it, and the shelves along with the books magically aligned themselves back in the proper order. Yusei was laying under the books with an annoyed look on his face.

"What's the matter with you Kalin?" he asked in irritation, "You didn't have to go as far as burying me in books to talk with Princess."

Kalin held out his hand and helped Yusei off the ground.

"Fear is what brings out the truth in people." Kalin reasoned.

"Yeah, another one of your ridiculous theories alright." Yusei jeered.

"Yusei, who is this guy?" I asked.

"Meet the only person who's not out to kill us; Kalin Kessler." He replied with a devilish grin.

* * *

><p>Ok, so the only amazing thing about this was that Kalin was introduced into it.<p>

I appologize for his weird attitude, but more's coming in the next chapter.

Its called: Truth Over Lies

Rate and review please! ^_^


	9. Truth Over Lies

**This is really only a filler chapter. Gah! I was out of ideas!**

**Not to mention that I was grounded from using the computer for a week.**

**Yeah, this may not be a very good chapter, but the next few will be.**

* * *

><p><strong> Truth Over Lies<strong>

Kalin Kessler. I'd never heard Yusei mention him to me, but I saw why. Kalin was a little, well, maybe more so on the "crazy" side. Not wild crazy, but more like mental insanity. He wasn't really insane, but he did act pretty weird a few minutes ago.

"So, I presume that you're here for answers." Kalin said in a calm voice. He took a seat back in his chair and resumed reading his book.

"Answers? You mean like, about this whole situation and stuff?" I asked in surprised.

Is that what Yusei came here for? It's highly plausible. After all, the incidents with Crow were pretty bad, and so was all this talk about my "medium powers". I was sitting on the couch next to Yusei. Kalin seemed to have become more accustomed to us being here now. He offered us tea to drink. I asked politely for some, but Yusei declined, seeing as how his tensions with Kalin were still pretty high. I was still confused about why Yusei was like that. His dark form out, even thought the clock on the wall showed 1:27 pm.

"Hey, Yusei, do you know why that darker half of your personality is here? I mean, it's only around 2 pm and the sun isn't down yet." I asked.

Kalin answered the question for me.

"It's because of the spell disrupter."

"The what?" I asked.

"A magic circle embedded deeply into the soil that muddles with the spells of anyone who steps inside. In Yusei's case, his darker half is protected by a spell of concealment which is cast by the good half. So, it works with almost the opposite effect down here."

When Kalin was finished, he took a sip of tea and continued into his book. Yusei was becoming very impatient with Kalin; he tapped his foot in anger like he was waiting for something.

"So tell me something Kalin," Yusei began, "What do you know about the Organization's plans as to why Crow's after Akiza."

Kalin took another sip and looked down slightly.

"Not much," he answered, pushing his glasses up so they rested on the bridge of his nose.

"Liar." Yusei hissed.

His eyes were glowing scarlet with impatience now. His anger was being detained under pressure, and at any moment, it could burst out in one big wave. That's the feeling that I got from hearing Yusei. I was just about right.

"If you want to know, ask Crow yourself." Kalin answered calmly.

"Not a chance. I'll never forgive that bastard for what he's done." Yusei fumed through his gritted teeth.

Kalin only shrugged, and resumed his work on his book.

"It's your loss." He muttered under his breath.

Yusei's bottled up anger exploded at Kalin's comment. He jumped out of his seat and moved to strike him with his fist. Yusei never got the chance. Kalin leapt past him, swiftly dodged the punch, and struck several different spots along Yusei's neck with his two fingers. He landed on one knee, while Yusei dropped to the ground unconscious.

"What did you do?" I cried out in shock.

"I disabled him." Kalin replied, rising to his feet. "It's only temporary, but for the next half-hour or so, he won't be able to think or move any of his limbs."

"Nothing fatal, right?" I asked timidly.

"No, but it gives you more freedom." He replied, picking up Yusei's limp body and laying it down in a room behind his chair.

"Freedom?"

"To ask me questions about what you wish to know." Kalin said, shutting the door.

I looked down at my reflection in the tea. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing, or a bad thing. Knowing about my mark might come in handy, but Kalin seemed like he was ready to share with me every secret Yusei had. How much did Kalin really know about him? It seemed like a lot more than I did.

"Tell me, why is Yusei so angry at Crow?" I asked, still looking down at my tea.

"Mostly because of what he did." Kalin answered.

"What did Crow do?"

Silence.

"He targeted you, even before the whole incident happened." Kalin said softly.

"You mean he was the one who challenged me to a duel?" I said in surprise.

"Couldn't be," Kalin interrupted, "He doesn't duel. Not once have I ever seen him with a deck."

"Then who was it who fought me?"

"I'm not sure."

"Kalin," I asked, looking up at his hazel eyes, "What do you do? Are you just a librarian?"

He shut his book and placed it back on the side table.

"I'm what you might call a "Knowledge Seeker"," Kalin explained as he ran his fingers gently over the book's gold edging. "I collect various pieces of information on everything."

"Is that why you have so many books?" I asked, peering around the rooms at the filled bookshelves.

Kalin chuckled softly.

"Akiza, that isn't even _half_ of my collection."

He gestured to another door to my left. Kalin stood up and opened the door while I looked inside. It was incredible! Rows and rows of endless shelves filled with different books of all shapes and sized. Some were old, others were brand new, but each one had a hardcover with gold edging around it; Kalin's trademark it seemed.

"Wow…" I stood just inside the door gaping at the massive collection.

It would take years to read all these books, maybe even decades!

"Do you read _all_ of these books?" I asked Kalin.

"No, I merely skim over them and find the ones with the exact information I need." Kalin explained. "There are certain genres I read, but most of them remain on their shelves."

Carine hooted in agreement, as she flew quietly over the shelves with a book in her talons. I was surprised at this. The owls helped out by keeping the books in check, as well as being Kalin's protectors.

"Hey, do you think I could see something that would explain the mark on my hand?" I asked.

I looked down at my left hand, expecting to see the mark, but all I could see was the same old hand I saw everyday.

"Of course Akiza, I'll be back in a minute." Kalin replied, dashing off.

He was so fast, I felt the wind rush against me long after Kalin had gone down one of the endless rows of bookshelves. He was even faster than Yusei. No wonder Kalin had been able to dodge him so easily. In about thirty seconds, Kalin had returned with a dark green book labeled _"Runes and Markings of the Immortal"_.

"The immortal?" I asked feeling very puzzled. I certainly wasn't immortal, but Yusei on the other hand…

"You probably have already realized that Yusei's darker half is not exactly…human. It was created by the immortal Condor Wiraqocha Rasca." Kalin explained, escorting Akiza out of the enormous library.

"He told me about that once, I remember."

Kalin raised the book up to shoulder height with himself, and ten let go of the cover. I expected the book to fall, but it instead remained floating in the air, pages flipping nosily on their own. Kalin caught my gaze as I stared at the floating book.

"I'm part psychic, so don't be alarmed if you see a whole bunch of things flying around." He explained, scanning the pages of the book, "I need to exercise my power or it'll disappear altogether."

I approached Kalin slowly, walking over to his left side to get a better look at the floating book. It appeared to have stopped on a page with many different picture symbols, one that I had seen before on my hand.

"Akiza, activate your mark please." Kalin ordered.

"I can't." I told him. I didn't know how.

That time I had called Yusei to me was a total accident; I had no idea how I had done it before. Kalin sighed and began thinking, resting his head on his hand.

"It would probably be controlled by emotions, since that is an area where humans excel in dangerous situations." He thought out loud.

"Emotional? You mean like anger, sadness, worry…" I began to list the ones I though of off my fingers.

"Fear." Kalin added.

"Yeah…fear." I repeated.

Fear. The word scared me. I'd had too much time experiencing it first-hand.

"If we're going to use an emotion, it should probably be pain." Kalin explained, placing his hand on my forehead. "I'll tap into your memories and revive a painful moment for you, that way I don't have to break all of you."

Break me. What Crow did was just that. Break my hope and my bones and turn them all into a crimson mess of terror. Kalin must have started already, because I could feel the ugly memories flooding back to me. A black figure stood between me and my only escape.

"_It's the memory of that time. The time I felt like death was already claiming my life."_

I shuddered. This part, these feelings kept playing over and over again. Being crushed, being suffocated, and having my body burned. It hurt me all over. The pain didn't stop, It continued on and on in a never ending cycle. I wanted to scream, but I held it back, knowing that I would be dead by the time someone came to rescue me.

"_Someone…help me."_ I thought to myself.

The mark was glowing now; a deep crimson red. It was mesmerizing to watch the energy flow through the lines. I found that the pain had ended, but the mark continued glowing, as if it acted on its own will.

"Let's see…" Kalin said; his voice fading as he stared at the mark.

He took a few looks between the book and my hand, but Kalin nodded when he was done.

"I believe I know what it means." He said.

Kalin first pointed to the V in the center of the mark.

"This means "flow of energy". I don't know why it's pointed at you, but the energy is still able to flow into Yusei because of this."

"And?" I asked, waiting for the rest of Kalin explanation.

"The circle that surrounds it stands for unity. It's what connects your fate to Yusei's." Kalin continued, pointing to a thin red circle around the "V". "Finally, the dots on each 90° angle of the circle represent vital points. Usually they apply only to animals with wings, but you seem to have them anyway."

"What does it all mean then?" I asked, not fully understanding the picture.

"It means you're a medium who is the owner of Yusei, and one with the power of birds." Kalin replied, looking just as confused as I was. "That's a rough translation, so the real meaning may be hidden deeper. You never know."

Kalin closed the book and handed it over to Carine to place it back on the shelf where it belonged.

The mark had faded away again, probably because I wasn't giving it any commands. Crow; I remembered. I want to know more about Crow.

"What about the "Organization"? Do you have a lot of information on them?" I questioned, hoping to dig up some answers.

Kalin gave a small laugh.

"More than ever." He said with a slight grin on his face.

It occurred to me that Kalin was going to show me what he had denied to Yusei. But why? I thought that the two of them were friends.

"Lupé!" Kalin called out into the room, "Bring me book ID number X11076."

A grey spotted owl gave an understanding hoot as it flew off to the restricted section. When it returned, Lupé was carrying a large black book in a basket. The book was at least as large as my arm and about 500 pages thick.

"There's that much?" I asked in surprise.

Kalin pulled the book out of the basket and set it into the air.

"Anything in particular?" He asked as he flipped to the index.

"Crow; anything about him will do." I told Kalin.

Kalin smiled ever so slightly and flipped pages to the section on Crow's personal information when…

Crash! Dirt and rocks flew everywhere as a portion of the ceiling crashed down. Kalin and I jumped out of the way, both of us landing on the floor. There was a thick dust floating in the air and it took me a few coughs to get my airways cleared. Someone stood in the center of the dust; someone with sleet grey eyes…

"Crow?" I gasped in surprise.

Something about the way he stood was wrong. Horribly wrong. His head was bent to the side at a weird angle, and all of his limbs looked stiff, like a doll's. his eyes looked cloudy and far away, as if he had no feelings at all.

"Hello…Akiza…" Crow slowly said in a monotone voice.

"Kalin…" I whimpered.

Kalin grimaced at the sight of Crow's horrible body.

"Akiza, this fight is just about to get ugly!" He announced, steadying himself into a fighting stance.

"_But I…don't have Yusei!"_

* * *

><p>I've been having a hard time juggling school, home, and writing, so I might only have one chapter up every two days.<p>

Sorry guys! _

Next chapter: Alliance


	10. Alliance

**Yay! My 10th Chapter of Ravens and Crows! It's actually about half done right now.**

**Sorry for the lateish updating. Cookies to everyone who read this up to now :)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Alliance<strong>

"What are we going to do?" I franticly asked Kalin.

Crow, or whatever he was, was slowly moving towards both Kalin and I. We were trapped in Kalin's underground "bird's nest" as you might call it. Not only was Yusei unable to help, but Crow seemed to be under control of some mysterious force. He had his knife drawn in a stiff attack position and I was pretty sure that I didn't want to get close enough to figure out what the controller was going to make Crow do with it.

"Akiza, can't you fight?" Kalin asked.

"No! I can't use my mark like that, I only help Yusei to release his power remember!" I shouted.

"Shit. How the hell are we going to defend ourselves?" Kalin cursed under his breath.

His eyes darted around the room until they locked onto the storage room right behind Crow. Yusei. He was in there. Kalin did a mental face palm. What an idiot! He had forgotten to undo his nerve attack.

"Akiza, listen." Kalin whispered.

"I'm listening."

"We have two options. One: I get to that storage room and undo my nerve attack, or Two: you call Yusei out here with your mark." He explained, pointing to the door barred by Crow.

"We'll have to go with plan one then," I agreed almost immediately. "Even with that little bit of training with my mark, it's not enough for me to awaken him yet."

"Duck!" Kalin shouted as he jumped sideways and grabbed me from the side.

In a flash I saw Crow's knife sink into the wall right where I was standing. I gulped, thinking how that knife could have sunk right into my chest, piercing vital organs and a massive blood…but my vision was interrupted when Kalin hit the floor, and I rolled sideways out of his hands.

"Kalin!" I cried, rising up onto my hands and knees.

Not good. He was lying unconscious on the ground, on the account of him hitting his head on the "Organization" book. Who knew information could be so dangerous?

"Only…one…target…left…" Crow said slowly in a monotonous voice.

He was staring directly at me now, with his cold grey eyes watching me with a blank expression. I panicked and stood up in a hurry, but found that I was already up against a pile of rubble. That's it. Nowhere left for me to hide.

"_What should I do?" _I asked myself.

Then an idea hit me. If what Kalin said was true and my mark was fueled by emotion, then I might have a plan that's just crazy enough to work.

"_It's worth a shot." _I reasoned.

Crow came even closer, holding the knife in a poised position above me. It was now or never! As he brought the knife down, I moved to the side but not fast enough to evade the blade's sharp edge. There was an intense pain as a deep gash was carved into my arm. I fell to the ground and squeezed the wound in order to gain every last amount of pain I could find. My mark once again began to glow in an almost threatening way.

"Yusei! Get your lazy butt up and over here!" I shouted at the door.

Yusei's ruby eyes flicked open in surprise. Never before had Akiza's mark signal been so strong. He was lying on the floor in a utility closet, but the door wasn't locked.

"_Nice going Kalin," _Yusei grumbled to himself.

Realizing that Akiza was still out there, Yusei sprang up and kicked the door open. What he saw was no more that total chaos. Half of the ceiling had crumbled and Crow was standing in the middle holding his blood stained knife. Akiza was there too, but her arm was bleeding horribly and the mark was glowing with an exemplary amount of power. Kalin was there, unconscious on the floor. Why did Kalin have to go and be a magnet for trouble? This was what, his seventh time he needed to be saved? This was getting old, but for now, there was another matter to be solved.

"Well, well, back for more Crow?" Yusei taunted.

Crow didn't answer, instead he looked between Yusei and Akiza trying to figure out which target to hit first. The medium was a better target; being the weaker female and easier to kill. He pointed his knife at Akiza with the intent to kill.

"Oh no you don't!" Yusei shouted as he body slammed Crow into a pile of debris.

"Yusei! I'm so glad that you woke up!" I shouted in happiness.

I was safe now. Yusei wouldn't let anything bad happen to me while he was around.

"What took you Princess?" He asked slyly.

His mouth was curved up in that crooked grin he always wore when he was being a snob.

"You know why." I replied. Then I remembered something that made Yusei irritated, "At least I didn't pass out after one attack."

"Yeah, yeah, it was a lucky shot," was Yusei's half-hearted reply.

I smiled. Some things about him would never change.

"Yu…sei…target…must…be…eliminated…" came Crow's monotone voice from the pile of debris.

"What?" I cried out in surprise.

Crow wasn't capable of receiving that much damage and still have the strength to keep going. His powers were too weak; I mean I saw his strength when he fought Yusei. This must have been part of someone else's plan. Crow was severely injured, but he continued to move and fight, even at the brink of death. Yusei drew his knife from his belt pocket. The two entities were about to face off, escalating this fight to a whole new level.

"No mercy," Yusei stated, rushing at Crow with full force.

Another knife fencing round started as both Yusei and Crow moved with precision and speed to try and outwit each other. Yusei struck the first blows; one to the shoulder, shallow on the chest, and two on one leg. Crow was almost unaffected by the wounds, but kept up with Yusei's quickened pace. Crow moved to attack and Yusei slid to dodge it, but Crow had faked the move and instead slashed Yusei on his left shoulder where he had suffered muscle damage before. Yusei fell forwards onto the ground, grieving in pain. Crow stepped slowly towards him, stepping into the moonlight coming down from the ceiling. In one quick moment I caught a flash of silver.

"_String? I think I get it now!"_ I realized.

"Yusei! There are strings attached to Crow like a puppet! If you break the strings, then you'll be able to stop whoever's controlling him!" I called out.

Yusei rolled over slowly and stood up, his hand covered in blood from the shoulder wound.

"Nice observation, Princess," Yusei said with a demonic grin. "I'll take it from here."

Yusei gripped his knife tightly in his right hand. Crow made a move to strike, but Yusei jumped overtop of him and cut each of the strings off in one swift movement. Crow just stood there for a moment, but he suddenly collapsed onto the floor; his limbs spreading out in all directions. We were safe. For now. My head felt heavy again. I had lost a lot of blood, and looking down I could see that my hand was stained as well as a good area of the floor. I just hoped that Yusei wasn't in as bad of a condition as me. I wobbled, trying to keep my balance, but I soon gave into the pain and fell sharply into unconsciousness.

Yusei was there to catch Akiza. She had done so much for him in this time, even if she hadn't realized it. Her arm was bleeding profusely, and something had to be done. Yusei pulled off his right hand glove with his teeth and applied his hand directly onto her wound. He squeezed it slightly to hold the two sides of the wound together as Yusei used the dark powers to manipulate the healing process to quadruple the speed. In about five minutes, Akiza's arm had healed completely. It was almost Yusei's time to retire as well. The spell disrupter was messing with his whole system. He had to use more energy in order to use his dark powers. Yusei carefully laid Akiza down, but with his low energy levels, he simply collapsed onto the ground next to her before he could go any further.

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><p>"What a fool," Jack cursed as he watched Yusei and the others below. His violet eyes burned with hatred and cruelity.<p>

"You're nothing but a worthless pawn, Crow. You can die in hell for all I care." Jack scoffed as he spread his glossy amber wings for flight.

The whole plan was a disaster. Next time he was going to be the one with the plan, not his father. Jack flapped his wings and flew of into the starry chasms of the night.

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><p>"Nnngh…" I moaned.<p>

The sunlight was blinding. Even in my sleep, I could see it burning through the hole in the ceiling. Wait, the ceiling? I sat up abruptly to find that I was sleeping on the couch in the center of Kalin's would be living room. Even though a few things had been cleaned up, debris and dirt from above was still cluttered all around the room. Kalin wasn't taking any notice, but was sitting in his librarian's chair with his nose deep in a book. I just sat there and stared with my mouth wide open.

"_Is he so dense that the damage done is oblivious to him?"_ I thought.

To be honest, I wouldn't put anything past Kalin. He seemed to have a different mind from everyone else, or at least a different way of thinking.

"You better shut your mouth, or you'll catch flies." Kalin instructed like a preschool teacher.

I did close my mouth, but I also glared at Kalin. Some nerve he has to talk to me like that.

"Hey Kalin, where's Yusei?" I asked, looking around the ruined room.

Piles of dirt and debris were scattered everywhere, books had been ripped, but there wasn't a single sign of Yusei anywhere. I caught Kalin pointing to the library area and decided to investigate. I opened the door cautiously, but shut it almost immediately to avoid being hit by a flying book. Shouting and arguing could be heard from inside the room. I crouched down and opened the door again. Another book flew over my head as I crawled through the doorway and into what seemed like a war zone. Crow and Yusei were engaged in a heated fistfight, throwing each other against the walls.

"Give up!" Crow yelled, throwing a punch into Yusei's stomach.

"Never!" Yusei countered, giving crow an uppercut that sent him flying into another bookshelf.

"Guys! Stop fighting! You're acting like a bunch of children!" I screamed at both of them.

Yusei and Crow both paused mid-punch and stared at me. I breathed heavily, staring them down. Something had to be done, or we'd only keep beating ourselves up over and over again. I caught my breath and explained my plan to them.

"I've decided that we should make an alliance with each other," I told the boys.

"What?" The both gasped simultaneously.

"I'll never work for this low-lying traitor!" Crow jeered.

"There's no way that a dog of the enemy will ever earn my respect." Yusei argued back.

Crow and Yusei both made determined faces at each other, growling in anger.

"Hey, hey, hey! There's no time to fight right now!" I protested, separating the two of them. "Crow are you still working for the Organization?" I asked.

"I…don't really know." He mumbled. "I guess not…"

"Then it's perfect! We can all cooperate on this!"

"Whoa, whoa, I never agreed to any of this," Crow said as he put his hands up in defense.

Yusei was eerily quiet. He was either considering the possibilities of this plan working, or how to get back at Crow when I was done protesting.

"If we don't work together, than we'll never reach our goals." I stated firmly. "There are not a lot of different options."

"I believe she's right." Yusei said, backing me up.

He extended his hand and waited for Crow's answer.

"All right, fine. We'll work together, but just this once." Crow agreed, shaking Yusei's hand.

"_I just hope we can make this work." _I thought.

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><p>So? How was the chapter? Did you like it?<p>

Anyway...Next chapter is going to have something totally different

It's called: Everlasting Love

See you all next time I update! ;D


	11. Everlasting Love

**Heyy :) Ok, before you all yell at me I made up a list of reasons of why i haven't uploded in a while:**

**A: Writer's block**

**B: Summer (come on, we can all relate to this) :)**

**C: Tight Schedule**

**D: Long chapter (I wanted to be as detailed as possible)**

**I hope you aren't too mad at me, so please enjoy Chapter 11!**

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><p><strong>Everlasting Love<strong>

I hate my life. Not only do I have to deal with another Immortal, but also the pressures of school. At first I thought that having a "treaty" with Crow would only better our chances of staying out of trouble. I was horribly wrong. Crow as it turned out, was always annoying Yusei whether or not he had his dark personality. Fighting was often done in and outside the household, which went a little something like this:

Crow would get up at dawn to raid my fridge and mess up the house before I woke up at 6 to get ready for school. Then he'd often torture Yusei by throwing buckets of water on him, pouring shaving cream in his hand and tickling his face, or just plain dragging him out of bed so that he fell on the floor. Yusei had to endure the torture all day, or Crow threatened to "work on me" instead. However, dusk brings forth a whole new level of destruction. Yusei's immortal condor spirit unleashes all the hatred, pain, and suffering that it withstood during the day. Empty lots and open fields feel their wrath as destruction ramps up to levels of natural disasters. The fights go on for hours at a time, sometimes all night, with neither one at a higher or lower level then the other. Daybreaks, and the violent battlefields become silent wastelands of burned trees, craters, and blood. I'm just surprised that they haven't killed each other yet.

**Monday**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The shrill cry of my alarm clock sounded, arousing me from my seemingly endless dreams. I sat up slowly in bed, slight sunlight creeping in as it sits just barely over the horizon.

"_Monday, yet another week of harassment that I have to endure…"_ I thought to myself.

I slid my legs out from under me and sat on the edge of my bed. Hands folded together, I let my elbows rest on my legs for support as I bent over, staring at the floor. School had grown worse for me, even thought it had only been six days. Sherry was expelled for three of those and her return was anything but pleasant. I no longer had to worry about her beating me half to death, but more about having her up in my face all hours of the day. She spread lies, shoved my head into the drinking fountain, and knocked my books out of my hands so that they spilled all over the floor. Life's hell for me, and that's a fact.

Hysterical shouts and painful groans could be heard from the guest bedroom. I spun my head towards the door, but recognized the shrewd laugh of a certain carrot-topped teen.

"_Crow? Again?"_

I did a face palm, regretting that the treaty had ever been created. Crow was ruining my life, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. I took another peek at the clock. 6:11. I was falling behind. If I didn't hurry, I'd miss the bus and being late was just what I did not need on a day like today. Pulling on my magenta school blazer and black skirt, I washed up in the bathroom and scooped all of my textbooks into my satchel for safekeeping.

"Crow, get off of me!"

Yusei's panicked cries found their way to my ears. I quickly bounded down the stairs to find that Crow was wrestling with Yusei. Crow was sitting on top of him, pinning Yusei's helpless body to the floor. I sighed and closed my eyes in disbelief. How could I have ever known that having a treaty with Crow would result in total chaos.

"Crow get off of Yusei; this is no time for fighting." I lectured.

"Excuse me, mom, I wasn't aware of that rule!" Crow teased back.

He was really pissing me off now. I felt so angry that I took my satchel and slammed it over the top of his head. It did little but cause him to flinch. He turned his head slowly around and shot me a glare of pure hatred. I stumbled backwards out of fright, into the kitchen table.

"Akiza, don't you ever do that again." Crow threatened.

His voice was low and gruff. He had locked his sleet grey eyes with mine, but I felt as if his glare reached to the core of my soul. I shivered slightly. This was the _real_ Crow that I knew. The one with years of hatred behind him and the will to kill Yusei even if it killed him. Suddenly, a hand pulled on my arm. Yusei had escaped from Crow while he was busy venting his anger out on me. He led me to the front door and was about to open it when Crow charged back at Yusei. However, Yusei just moved to the side and Crow slammed face first into the door.

"Oww, Oww, Oww, Oww!" Crow complained, extracting himself from the door. "Where are you guys going?" He asked.

"School," I answered.

"Great! I'm coming with you!" Crow announced.

"No." Yusei stated firmly. "Since you're not registered, it would be unnatural if you just appear out of nowhere at the school. They'd question your appearance and wonder if you were a spy or a criminal, or just maybe a flunky who was trying to get another education in for free."

"So, what am I supposed to do while you're at the "school"?" Crow whined.

Yusei shoved a nearby broom into his hands. Crow stared in surprise at Yusei's actions. He was usually the one to be pushed around. But here, Crow was the one being pushed.

"Here. You can clean up the mess we made last night." He ordered.

"But, but, but, but, but…"

I opened the door as Yusei pushed aside the stuttering Crow. I walked just a few feet and stopped to look back at Yusei who was locking the door.

"Well? Are we going or not?" He asked with a slight grin.

"_Oh boy. This day isn't going to end well."_

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><p>"Hey Sherry! Look who decided to show her ugly face here again!" A shrill voice called down the hallway.<p>

"_Aw crap, I'm dead meat now. As if my life couldn't be any worse."_

Carly had spotted me at my locker, and now all three of the bullies were approaching. Misty was looking cross, Carly was smiling in a weird way, but Sherry was especially the angriest.

"I thought that after a while, it would finally sink in that you shouldn't be here." Sherry smirked.

"Leave me alone, Sherry." I objected.

She slammed my locker shut, causing me to jump back in surprise.

"Well, why don't you just give us what you owe?" she replied, holding out her hand. "20,000 yen. And we want it now."

"I don't owe you anything!" I protested.

"Liar!"

"Thief!"

Both Carly and Misty were calling me names about the money. I didn't borrow any of it. This was blackmail, and I had no way out. Misty and Carly grabbed my arms and pinned them behind my back. Sherry grinned and rummaged through my pockets until she took out my wallet and all of my yen.

"Hey! Give...that…back!" I shouted, struggling to break free.

Carly and Misty only tightened their grip though, and I winced in pain.

"I told you, we're here to collect the money and we'll get it in any way we need." Sherry mocked with a devilish grin on her face.

"Why don't you find someone else to pick on?" An angry voice called behind Sherry.

Sherry whirled around only to find herself standing face to face with Yusei. His face was twisted with anger, but was also filled with concern at the same time. He swiftly snatched the yen out of Sherry's hands and moved her aside. Sherry just stood there staring. Whether it was from the shock of someone standing up to her, or just the fact that Yusei had taken away what she stole first.

Misty and Carly stood shaking, but still pinning my arms to my back. Yusei just stood in front of me and stared at them with the most torturous glare I have ever seen in my life. The bullies immediately released my arms, but I fell forwards without having any support from my struggling. I felt a strong tug on my shoulders and saw that Yusei had his arms around my shoulders to support my weight. I sat up in surprise at his actions.

"Yusei, I…"

He smiled, and I trailed off. Never before had I felt this sense of peace and assurance. I knew then that I was falling for Yusei; almost in the literal terms as well.

"Yusei." Sherry's harsh voice cut through my thoughts. "I'll see you, _later_." She flashed her venom-sweet smile and walked off in a huff. Sherry knew something and whatever it was, it was very ugly.

"Hey, Akiza." Yusei said, waving his hand in front of my face. "If we don't hurry we'll be late."

I snapped my head over to see him holding his hand out for me. I took it into mine, and using his arm as a support, I stood up. I blushed fiercely, unable to control my emotions. Feeling Yusei's hand in mine made me think of a royal knight who saves the princess, and then has a royal wedding to celebrate their love…

"C'mon, we have to get to class!" Yusei said again, interrupting me for the third time.

"Right, right, sorry." I said, still in a daze.

"_Yusei, if only you knew…"_

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><p>School was actually fairly normal after that, if not better. I found that thinking of Yusei only seemed to make me feel better about myself. I was his princess and he was the knight, so my love for him was supposed to be the stuff of legend. Or so I had read in a children's book. I found Yusei waiting for me after school. He was leaning up against a telephone pole staring off into space.<p>

"_I wonder what he's thinking about."_

In walked closer and Yusei jumped back a little when he saw me. He was so lost in thought that he freaked even though he could see me from where he was standing.

"Oh, Akiza! Perfect timing!" Yusei said.

"Perfect for what?" I asked.

"I thought that since we don't usually go anywhere after school, that we might want to take a stop in the park for a while."

My eyes brightened like shining stars. Yes! This was the chance that I had been waiting for all day. I was going on a date, well, not an official one, but still on a date with Yusei.

"Sure," I said smiling, "We can do that."

We had a wonderful time at the park. Yusei and I got to feed the ducks at the pond and row a boat across the lake. We threw a Frisbee around for a while and acted like normal teens for once. No fighting, no immortals trying to kill us, and no one standing in our way from being together.

"Hey, Yusei." I said.

"Yes?"

We were lying in the grass, watching the clouds in the sky pass by our eyes.

"Do you, like me?" I asked more cautiously.

"As a friend?" he questioned back.

"Well, yeah, but I mean like like me."

Yusei blushed. "You know, I think I actually do."

I turned my head towards him and he did the same.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're funny, but serious, proud and brave, and you're a good cook as well."

"Wow. I never thought of myself as brave."

"You stood up to Sherry like that, so you had to be brave."

I turned back to watch the sky.

"Yeah…"

I thought about Sherry and what had happened this morning. It all seemed so surreal. Like the day was a dream and night was the reality.

"That's a nice sunset, right?" Yusei asked.

"_Sunset? Oh crap! Yusei's Dark side could appear at any minute."_

"Yusei, I think it's better if we go home before…"

"Before what princess?" A dark and devious voice came from next to me.

"Uh, nothing," I stuttered.

Yusei flipped himself over and placed his hands on either side of my head. He pinned my legs down with his and grinned in his devilish way.

"So, do you love me, Princess?"

"Get off of me!" I protested, pushing against his chest.

Yusei didn't move, heck he didn't even flinch. I had no effect on him at all. This is exactly why I didn't want to be here after sunset. Alone. With Yusei. Although, it had a nice ring to it.

"_No Akiza! Focus on the guy sexually harassing you right now."_ I shook my head to try and clear my thoughts. But, was he really?

Yusei grinned in the demonic way he always did. He pulled my arms away from his chest and locked fingers with my arms. Yusei was now lying on top of me, the smell of mint from his clothing filling my nose.

"A little secret for you," He whispered softly in my ear. "You're more attractive than you think."

I felt my face flushing and realized just how sexy Yusei was as well. His dark side was cunning and abrasive, but he knew his boundaries as long as I kept mine. I was infatuated with Yusei, and not just his daytime personality. Not to mention his great body. He had firm and toned abs, along with slender muscles and a slim waist. Even his legs were muscular, thanks to all the fighting he had to do.

"Th-Thank you," I whispered back at a loss of words.

I just lay there, enjoying every moment of pleasure Yusei's presence brought me. I could hear him breathing softly, his head next to mine, almost touching my cheek. I let my eyelids drop and listened to his steady heartbeat. If this was heaven, then somebody must have killed me, because I don't remember ever feeling this good about having Yusei close to me. Something in his mind must have clicked though, because he unlaced his finger and stood up, releasing me from his body hold. I sat up in surprise. I thought that was what he wanted to do with me, but something else seemed to be calling to him.

"Can you make it home by yourself?" He asked, staring off at the city lights.

"Uhh, yeah. I know the way back, but why?" I asked with curiosity.

"I have some…unfinished business to take care of." Was all Yusei answered.

He sprinted off, satisfied with my answer. I wasn't. That Dark Yusei was always keeping secrets from me. Why was that? I slowly walked down the empty and deserted streets of a smaller town-like region of the city. A lot of families lived here, and they were already in bed to prepare for their day tomorrow. I pondered the fact whether or not Yusei was fighting Crow back at the house. He wasn't going to rest unless Crow owned up to him and admitted he was better. But still…

* * *

><p>"So you knew," Sherry retorted, her back facing Yusei.<p>

"Don't think that just because you act like a princess, I'm going to fall in love with you all over again." Yusei threatened.

Sherry scoffed. "Oh? And just who do you love? Akiza maybe?"

Yusei's muscles tensed up a bit from hearing Akiza's name. He'd left her alone in the city just to settle a feud between Sherry and his past. What an idiot he was.

"You know, a girl like that is too _sluttish _for you."

"Don't you dare talk about Akiza like that!"

"Who's going to stop me?" Sherry mocked.

Her victory was short lived as Yusei spun her around violently and pinned her by the wrists up against the grey stone wall. He seethed with anger at Sherry's tenacity. To keep insulting his Princess one after another was pushing it too far. Sherry merely smiled.

"Exactly how I wanted it." She whispered to herself.

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><p>"<em>It has to be past curfew by now." <em>I thought.

Ok, let's face the facts. I was hopelessly lost in the city. Sure, it was easy to get around during the day, but some of the street signs must have shifted because I found myself walking in circles.

"_Of course when I need Yusei the most, my mark doesn't respond and he's off fighting somewhere."_

I stopped in front of a shop with a red and white stripe awning over the door. The sign read "Sweets 'n Things", and it appeared to be an old candy store. A soft sound floated into my ear. It was coming from the alley next to the store. I walked over slowly to investigate. Nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

"_What? Yusei…he's…kissing her… ?"_

He had Sherry backed up against the wall, his hands pinning her wrist against the grey stones. Both Sherry and Yusei's eyes were closed, a sign that I knew meant that they were absorbing the feeling of the moment. The full moon emanated its powerful glow around the two of them. Their ecstasy was too much for me, as I spun on my heel and sprinted down the block as fast as my legs would carry me. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn't stop, not until I had gone so far that I believed Yusei could never find me ever again. I took a seat on the nearest bench and tucked my legs into my chest. I sat there sobbing for what seemed like forever, not caring about how late it was getting, or how lost I had gotten in the city.

* * *

><p>Yusei slapped Sherry for the fourth time now. He had broken from her mind spell that made him kiss her and was now enraged at her nerve. Akiza had seen them kissing, something that Yusei was sure had shattered her heart into millions of tiny pieces. He had never struck a woman with as much force as he was now, but his anger blocked out all rational decisions.<p>

"You bitch! You drove away Akiza, didn't you?" Yusei screamed shoving her against the wall by her neck.

Sherry gasped for breath and was trying to pry Yusei's fingers away from her throat, but to no avail. She grinned; her plan was going perfectly, except with Yusei's part.

"It wasn't me. After all, _you_ were the one she saw kissing me. From that position, anyone would have guessed that it was you who kissed me first." Sherry explained, grinning slyly.

"Why you-!" Yusei tightened his grip on Sherry's neck.

A flapping sound could be heard and all at once Yusei was sliced by white wings, kicked in the face, and thrown into the wall behind him. He coughed up blood onto the street and turned to face Sherry again.

"I knew it…" Yusei mumbled, "Dove, right? That's your code name."

Sherry's grin only deepened. She was now wearing a white dress, faded and torn slightly from years of combat. It reached to her feet and down to her wrists, covering her body in an anti-disease protecting fabric. White wings had now come out from both sides of her back; sharp feathers dripping in Yusei's blood. In her left hand she held a long sword which was once used to fight souls of the dead. Now, it held the bloodshed of the innocent people she had slayed.

"This is it, Yusei!" Sherry announced, holding the sword over her head. "If I can't have you, then no one will! Tonight, you die!"

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><p>Like it? I was reading a whole lot of romance fic's so I thought i'd put a little of my own in it this time.<p>

I also have a fifth reason for not updating: E:Laziness

Yes, I was lazy and careless of how much time was passing by between chapters, but I got one out so I hope it's ok for you.

Does anybody read my profile? You should. I put vital info on it sometimes.

I'm getting too far of track, so without any more distractions, the name of chapter 12:

Heartbreak

Hee, hee, hee, aren't I so evil?


	12. Heart Break

**Hey everybody! I got this one out on schedule this time.**

**This chapter has a VERY descriptive part that may cause vomiting.**

**Just be careful if you have a weak stomach.**

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><p><strong>Heart Break<strong>

How dare he do that to me. I trusted Yusei with my life, and he goes and hits on other girls, not to mention that it was _Sherry_. I mean, he ditched me for a school bully! So that was what Sherry meant by "seeing you later".

"_You idiot! You let him trick you with his mind games, only to have your hopes and dreams crushed against the rocks of despair!" _I thought miserably. _"Yusei's not going to feel any guilt; he probably wanted things to be this way…"_ I had no idea how wrong I was.

* * *

><p>Yusei stumbled backwards into the brick wall. Sherry was kicking the crap out of him, and if he didn't do something about it, he would be dead meat.<p>

"Yaah!" Sherry cried, as she thrust her sword forewords at Yusei.

He moved away just in time to see her sword embed itself deeply into the wall behind him.

"_Any later and I'd be dead,"_ Yusei thought.

However, his relief was short lived as Sherry continued to slash violently in all directions at Yusei.

"_Dammit Crow, where the hell are you?" _Yusei cursed in his mind.

He had sent out a signal that was supposed to lead Crow right to him. It seemed though, that crow wanted to have Yusei brave out the storm alone. His thoughts were interrupted when Sherry's sword slashed his leg, leaving muscle exposed and blood gushing from the wound. Yusei collapsed onto his good knee and tried to stop the bleeding using the dark power he had. Nothing happened.

"_Akiza!"_ Yusei realized that only Akiza had the power to unlock the energy reserves.

Without her, he was helpless against Sherry. She swung again, and Yusei barely dodged by rolling away. Boxes toppled over, falling on top of him. Yusei hurt everywhere. Not only was Sherry bad, but getting beat up by other objects was even worse. Sherry slowly walked over, wearing an insane and slightly demonic smile on her face. It was so wide, that it almost looked like she was wearing a mask. Truthfully, Sherry had gone insane with jealousy and was now past the point of ever being normal again.

"Are you ready, Yusei?" she asked, holding the sword above her head, "this is your final moment, so die with anguish! I want to hear your pathetic soul scream in agony at the life you wasted on filthy humans!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Ok, so he sends a message, but forgets to leave the tracking part on so I can find him easily. What an idiot."<em> Crow sighed.

He was tired of looking for Yusei. After all, "come quickly to my location" wasn't exactly as specific as needed to find someone. Crow had been flying for at least ten minutes with no results to show.

"_I just hope he hasn't gone and gotten himself killed yet…wait a sec. Is that, Akiza?"_

No way. There was absolutely no way that Yusei would've abandoned Akiza like that. Akiza was sitting on a bench with her knees tucked into her chest, sort of like a hiding position. She was also crying. Either Yusei ditched her, or something really bad was going on here. Crow landed not to far away on a lamp post, so that he wouldn't scare Akiza. He dropped silently to the ground and cautiously walked towards her.

"Akiza…?"

"Go away…" she mumbled.

"Why are you out here? All alone for that matter." I asked.

She jerked her head up and yelled directly at my face with tears streaming down her eyes:

"Because men are such jerks who cheat and lie, and break girl's hearts into millions of pieces! Then they take a piece so that the girl can never completely finish putting it back together and leave them to live their lives in misery."

"Ok, that's umm, a long description?" I stumbled to find the right words.

"What would you know about it? You're not the one with the broken heart." She sighed sadly and rested her head back on her knees.

"Well no, but I know a few things about them." I informed. "So fess up, who was it?"

"You wouldn't know her, but her name is Sherry."

My eyes widened with shock and disbelief. I crouched down closer to Akiza face and looked her directly into her tear strewn eyes.

"Sherry who?" I pressed on, hoping to get more answers.

"LeBlanc. Sherry LeBlanc, a transfer student."

I stood up. Everything made sense now. Why Yusei was in danger, and why Akiza was heartbroken. So it wasn't Yusei's fault…

"Why? Do you know her?" Akiza asked with curiosity.

She was sitting up, finally over the trauma that was endured a few minutes ago.

I grinned, "A crazy, psychotic, love sick, angel who doesn't know the meaning of letting go."

"An angel?" Akiza cried in shock.

"Yeah. Yusei dumped her long, long ago, but she was crazy in love for him and didn't get over it. Sherry has been out to make him love her ever since."

"So then, he wasn't…?"

"…kissing her? Doubt it. It's was one of Sherry's mind spells that made him do that."

"So she's an immortal too?" Akiza guessed.

"Yep. And a bad one too."

"Yusei! We have to go help him!" Akiza suddenly announced, jumping to her feet.

I sighed. Guess Akiza didn't get the memo. "Uhh, in case you're wondering, we're out in the middle of nowhere with no idea where Yusei is."

She stared at me with fierce determination. "I know, exactly where to find him."

I grinned deeply. One good thing about Akiza is that she wasn't afraid like some of the other's he had met. No, she was special, in a way that only guys could really understand.

"Then what are we waiting for? Lead the way, Princess."

Princess. Crow could get used to calling her that.

* * *

><p>"Gah!" Yusei cried in agony as he dodged yet another one of Sherry's deadly blows.<p>

He was running out of options. One wrong move could cost him his life, something that Yusei wasn't prepared for. After all, Akiza was still out there somewhere, probably alone in the dark streets…another attack came from Sherry's blade. This one sliced into Yusei's arm, causing more blood to spill out. He sagged to the ground and leaned against the wall. The fight was over; he was no longer able to continue in the state he was in.

"Now, you die for real," Sherry announced, holding the sword at ready.

"Not so fast!"

I stood in front of Yusei, creating a barrier between him and the lethal blade that Sherry was now wielding.

"Akiza, no, you should…"

"You're in no condition to give orders, Yusei." Crow stated, emerging from the shadows.

"So, it's a three on one, is it?" Sherry asked, glancing at all of us. "So be it."

"Why you-!" Crow growled as he leaped into the air to hit Sherry.

He never made contact. Sherry was too smart for him, and cleverly delivered a few dozen hard kicks into his crotch, and that was the end of Crow's brave attempt.

"So much for a strategy…" I mumbled.

"Now where were we? Ah, yes I believe that I was about to kill both of you." Sherry said, raising the sword up again.

"There's no way…"

"Huh?"

"…that I'll ever let you hurt my _boyfriend_!" I announced triumphantly.

"Your, your, _boyfriend_?" Sherry stuttered.

She screamed in a way that sounded more inhuman than anything else. I covered my ears to protect them from the sound. Windows shattered and all sorts of objects got knocked over in the midst of her sound shockwaves. Crow was right; she had no concept of letting go.

"Princess…nice going." Yusei smirked.

He was wearing a grin that said he was alright, but I could see from his wounds that Yusei was hurting on the inside. My mark began to glow a bright crimson color. I knew then exactly what I needed to do. Gently, I placed my hand with the mark over Yusei's heart and waited. I felt this strong jolt of energy flow into my veins, and Yusei finally stood up again with a new confidence. Yusei grinned that devilish smile he always had when things went in his favor.

"Princess, I need a favor." He said.

"What sort of favor?" I asked, unsure of what Yusei needed.

"Close your eyes, and don't open them until I say."

Yusei guided my shoulders down until I was sitting on a nearby crate. Sherry was still breathing rapidly from her rapid attacks, and was now recovering for her final strike.

"Why, exactly?" I questioned.

"What I am about to do, is release the true form of the Immortal Condor. I'm afraid that what you might see could ruin how you think of me as a human."

"Ok, I trust in your decision," I replied, closing my eyes and waiting.

"Thank you." Yusei said.

I heard these sounds, very disturbing ones, like flesh being torn into pieces. I assumed that it was how the Immortal Condor was created. The next thing I heard was Sherry's blood curdling screams and Yusei's voice counting down.

"10…"

"You rotten-!"

"9…"

"Ungrateful-!"

"8…"

"Son of a-!"

"7…"

"Two timing-!"

"6…"

"Low life-!"

"5…"

"Rude-!"

"4…"

"Filthy-!"

"3…"

"Unclean-!"

"2…"

"Bastard!"

"1…"

Silence. Not a sound was to be heard from Sherry or Yusei. I panicked, thinking that they were both dead. When Yusei's voice rang out a few seconds later, I was relived to know he was still alive.

"It's over; you can open your eyes." He said.

I wish I hadn't. Trails and splatters of blood were strewn all over the place. Following the darkest and most recent path, I looked up at the rooftop to see Sherry's dead body hanging on a television receptor pole. The heart and organs had been carved out and dangling from the corpse. Her dress was stained with dark red blood and her wings had been ripped; dangling at a crooked angle up into the sky. Her throat was torn, and several stone feathers were sticking out of her head with blood and brain fluids running down. Sherry's eyes were still wide open in shock, and her expression was nothing less than sheer terror.

It was too much for me. I bent over and vomited violently onto the cement. The smell of rotting flesh was everywhere, making me even more nauseous. I looked at Yusei, only to see him stained with Sherry's blood. His hands were covered in blood, some of it dripping off onto the ground. Yusei's wounds were bad as well; they were oozing blood and had bits of muscle and bone exposed to the raw elements. He looked at me with an expression that said "Help me please, I'm going to die." Yusei took one step towards me and fell flat onto the ground.

"Ugh, Crow!" I called, holding in my urge to vomit.

"Nnngh, what happened?" he asked, finally coming to.

Crow took one look at Sherry's body and understood what happened immediately.

"Where's Yus- oh my god!" Crow half asked, half freaked when he saw him lying on the ground covered in blood.

"Crow, I think…he's dying." I gasped for a breath of fresh air.

"I know, but we don't have the resources to save him." Crow explained sadly.

"Do something, you idiot!" I screamed, "Don't just sit there and let him die!"

"What exactly am I supposed to do? Huh?" He shouted back.

"I…I…"

"I know what to do." A man's voice came from the street.

He was tall, with blue hair that spiked behind his head. His eyes were covered by a red tinted visor, so I couldn't tell anything from his face. He was wearing a riding suit that most people wore when they were riding duel runners, but it was different from anything I had ever seen. His chest and shoulders were protected with silver armor looking pieces, while a slim looking dark blue body suit made up most of it. On his feet were silver boots to match his chest protectors. Behind him was a duel runner with one wheel that balanced even when it wasn't running. The front was pointed, like a hawk's beak and it was dark blue to match his suit.

"Really? A person like you isn't worth trusting." Crow smirked, turning his back on the man.

"What about you, miss? He's your partner after all." The man asked me.

"Can you save him?" I questioned back.

"I'll do the best I can." He replied.

"Crow, help me move Yusei." I ordered.

"No way. We are _not_ trusting this guy." Crow stubbornly refused.

"You're just like the others then. Just a cold, heartless, dog of the Organization." I taunted.

"Are not." Crow stated.

"Prove it." I jeered.

Crow came over to Yusei and lifted him up carefully onto his shoulder. The other man came and helped as well. They both strapped him to the front of the duel runner. The man revved the engine, ready for departure.

"Wait! I want to go too." I declared.

The man on the duel runner looked at me, then at Crow who gave a nod. He seemed dissatisfied with my answer, but didn't object to it. His reply was simply:

"Fine. Do as you wish."

He then sped off towards the northern half of the city.

"We have to hurry if we want to keep up." Crow said.

He reached from behind me, and locked his arms around my waist. Then by flapping his wings, he lifted both me and him into the air. It was a little awkward, but I got over the feeling once Crow picked up his pace. I felt the wind rush past my face in a feeling that was almost indescribable. I felt free and happy, but also afraid of what would happen if Crow were to fall. However, he seemed to be flying at a steady pace, making sure to stay with the duel runner's speed.

* * *

><p>Only a few short minutes later, we arrived at a secret cave entrance that was hidden cleverly by the plant growth and was almost impossible to see, unless you were at the right angle. Crow and the other man picked Yusei up and carried him into the nearest room on the right. From what I could see, high tech gadgets and important machinery was located in there. Most of it resembled hospital equipment, so I assumed that it was the guy's medical station. Crow stopped me from entering the room, though.<p>

"Sorry Akiza, but if you come in here while things aren't sterilized, you could get infected and become just as sick as Yusei. Just stay out here until we call you, ok?" Without another word, Crow shut the door.

I sank back against the wall to the right of the door. I come all of this way just to be shut out again by Crow and whoever that other weird visor guy was. I folded my hands and began to pray, hoping for a miracle to come.

"_Oh merciful God, please, please, please don't let Yusei die…"_

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><p><em>Sorry, I'm Christian so I wanted to put that part in there.<em>

_I need help making a poll, so if anyone knows how to, can you show me please?_

_Next chapter title:_

_Twisted Fate_

_Comment and rate my chapter! :)_


	13. Twisted Fate

**Ok, so I fixed my poll so that it makes more sense now. So please vote!**

**This chapter may be confusing, but the story will clear things up later.**

**Enjoy ;)**

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><p><strong>Twisted Fate<strong>

"How's he looking?" Crow asked, looking over Visor's shoulder

"Not good. He's lost a lot of blood, not to mention muscle damage, vital organ damage and possible head trauma. It's a miracle that he even had the will to survive for that long." He explained, pointing to some of Yusei's deep flesh wounds in his arms and side.

"Well, are you going to fix him?" Crow pushed on with his questions.

"Maybe, maybe not," He replied, continuing on his with Yusei's medical procedures.

Rage engulfed Crow. Hot only was he forced to work with this guy, but he was saying things like "maybe, maybe not". What kind of an answer was that? Crow grabbed Visor by his collar and held him up in the air. Visor simply stared down at Crow as if he was still standing.

"Listen here; if Yusei doesn't pull through, then he won't be the only one who's rotting in hell." He threatened.

"Are you so sure that you're up to the task? Killing is such a hard thing for a soft human like you. Even if Yusei dies, it won't change anything." Visor challenged.

Crow tightened his grip. "Like hell it will! You can't just waste a person's life like that!"

"Yusei was never supposed to exist in the first place! And neither were any of you!"

Crow was shocked. He let go of visor's collar and sank to the ground. He was now on his hands and knees, staring at the floor in disbelief.

"No…no it can't be," Crow stuttered, shaking from Visor's cruel words.

Visor only stared down at Crow. No emotion was on his face, just a hard cold stare. He turned back to Yusei who was lying on the hospital table.

"Akiza, what about her?" Crow asked from the floor.

"That girl? Not much. I doubt it will make a difference to her life." Visor answered, picking up a scalpel with his right hand from a medical tray.

"But, she's his medium so I thought…"

Clang! Visor's scalpel slid out of his hand, slicing a long gash in his palm before hitting the floor.

"What was that?"

Crow glanced up to see Visor looking at him with an unusually cruel stare. His hand was bleeding steadily, but he paid no attention to the blood.

"What? His medium?" Crow asked.

No sooner had he given his answer, Visor grabbed him by the collar and socked him right in his face with a bloody punch from his right hand. Crow was sent flying backwards, slamming into a metal cart. IV bags of blood fell off, splattering their contents all over Crow's head and legs. It dripped off of his hair, staining his face and legs, while the excess became a large crimson puddle on the floor.

"Idiot! Don't you realize what this means?" Visor was shouting at the top of his voice.

Yusei seemed to be stirring in his unconscious sleep, but Crow wasn't sure. Visor caught Crow's gaze and kicked him hard in the stomach. Crow doubled over, clutching his gut in pain and spitting out even more blood.

"Because of this if he dies…!"

* * *

><p>"<em>What in the world is going on in there?"<em> I thought.

I could hear angry shouts coming from that one mystery guy. Visor, I think. It sounded like more fighting was going on than medical attention. But if they were fighting, who was taking care of Yusei? I jumped to my feet and stood to face the door, but hesitated. What if I come in and I end up hurting Yusei even more? Is Crow going to be angry? Visor seems to be one of the guys who you want on your good side.

"_Be brave Akiza! You stood up to Sherry, and now it's time to face Crow!"_

Without a second thought, I grasped the doorknob and thrust the door open. It was everywhere. Blood. The sight, the smell, it was as if a violent battle had taken place in here. And Crow, he was the worst of all. Crow was drenched in blood, head to foot. I couldn't see if he was dead or not, but the next thing I did was let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Whoa, Akiza! Calm down I'm not dead!" Crow scrambled to spit out the words.

He stood up, trying to steady himself by using the metal table behind him. I screamed even louder.

"_Crow. He's dead. He has to be. It's not Visor's or Yusei's blood. Oh my god. This must be the kind of "infection" Visor was talking about! Crow's become a zombie!"_

Something sharp pierced the back of my neck. I fell silent for a moment before falling to the ground on my knees. I wasn't unconscious, but my body was totally unresponsive to anything I wanted to do. In other words, I was totally paralyzed. I could only sit on my knees and stare in silence.

* * *

><p>That girl. She screamed so loud the moment she saw Crow, I thought that my ear drums would have bled. If not for my special nerve piercing needle, she would have never shut up. So this is her. Yusei's medium. Nothing more than a fragile creature; I doubt her real worth to any of us. Crow is all worked up over nothing.<p>

"Visor! What the hell, man!" Crow shouted at me. His fist was tightened and his body was posed in a fighting position. "That was an unnecessary use of force!"

"What you conceive as dangerous and what I know to be are two totally different things." I explained calmly.

"It's _Akiza_ for crying out loud! You can't get any more harmless!" He argued back. I heard a low moan coming from behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Yusei move slightly. He was waking up, no doubt about that.

"Shut up Crow. You're going to wake Yusei." I commanded.

Crow held firm against me. "No! I won't shut up! Not after what you've done to Akiza! And just what is going to happen when Yusei dies, huh? Are you going to share with the class?"

"Akiza will die as well!" I burst out. I had enough of Crow's insults and ignorance. "She'll die the moment he does!"

"What? What did you say?" a certain harsh, but gentle voice rang out.

"Yusei!" I gasped. He was wide awake now, most likely from hearing that he was going to die along with the girl. "You idiot. You're so close to death, and yet you still have the strength to fight against it."

Crow was eerily silent. The shock of hearing that both Akiza and Yusei will die together must have been enough to shut him up. Yusei hoisted himself up so that he was in a sitting position on the medical table. His ruby red eyes glared in hatred at me.

"What do I have to do?" Yusei asked.

"To accomplish what?"

"To save Akiza."

"Nothing."

"What?"

"It's impossible for you to save the girl. The moment your life force runs out, both of you will plummet into the depths of hell."

"Why? She hasn't done anything wrong!"

"She will suffer because of you. Your sin is so great, the punishment is also hers to undergo."

"Damn it!" Yusei slammed his fist next to him on the table. The next moment, he double over in pain, coughing up what little blood was left in his body.

"Yu…sei. I… want…to help." Akiza strained her voice from across the room.

"_Impossible!"_ My eyes went wide with shock.

She was _standing up_! Not a single person that I had met before was ever strong enough to push on with this kind of will. Akiza was defying logic and forcing her muscles to work.

"You damn hypocrite. Saying there isn't a way to save him." Akiza cursed under her breath. "I know pretty damn well that there's always a way."

She slowly staggered over to Yusei's side. Even as a medium, she was still as loyal to him as a servant to a master. When she was close enough, Akiza placer her right palm over Yusei's chest. A reaction happened between the two of them. A mark appeared on Akiza's hand, and a circular one that went around her hand was on Yusei's chest. Yusei stared at Akiza in disbelief; I was even surprised at her actions. Her mark was glowing with a vibrant red light, while Yusei's was a dark black.

"_Just what do you plan to do, girl?"_

* * *

><p>"Take it." I told Yusei.<p>

He stared at me, as if I had just slapped him across the face. "Take what?" He finally asked.

"The rest of the power. Take mine if you have to, but please, save yourself." I instructed.

"I could never do that to you." Yusei rejected my request.

"I never said that you had a choice!" I pushed my hand deeper in to his chest. There was no going back now. "You're going to use this energy whether you like it or not!"

Yusei tried to pry my hand off, but the marks on our bodies had grown to full strength. A translucent red colored shield of energy engulfed my hand, while Yusei's circle sucked it in like a black hole. I could see Yusei's wounds healing them selves, but my own strength was being sapped away by the mark. After what seemed like an eternity, the marks both faded away. Never before had my body felt so tired of sluggish. I couldn't even process a single thought. As the dark edges of my vision began to blur, I could see Yusei saying something to me. I couldn't hear it. The only thing I wanted to do now was rest.

* * *

><p>"Akiza! Akiza! Are you ok?" I shouted.<p>

Her hand felt limp in mine and as she fell toward the floor, I slid off the table and onto one knee in time to catch Akiza. She seemed so pale, her face was almost a ghostly white and her body felt very cold. Using my hand, I gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.

"What a fool. Using up all of her energy to save the life of a killer, that's a stupid decision." Visor scoffed from above me.

I said nothing, but merely scooped up Akiza in my arms. As I turned to walk away, a hand firmly grabbed my shoulder.

"Don't ignore me. You don't deserve to be alive, so count yourself lucky." Visor threatened.

"Anthony, don't you think you need a new hobby?" I taunted.

"Shut your mouth. My real name is off limits. The only reason I chose to even thinking about helping was because of how helpless you looked." Anthony commanded.

"Oh, I'm so scared." I mocked, challenging him to a battle of wits.

"You-!"

Anthony never finished his sentence. Crow came from behind with a left hook and sent him sprawling into the once used hospital table.

"Take that you smart ass!" Crow taunted.

"Crow that isn't such a good idea…" I began to say.

Silvery metal wings emerged from Anthony's back. Besides being a medic, Anthony was also a "top class" mechanic. Not to mention, the fifth immortal know as Shotwing Hawk. I shot a glare at Crow who smiled with an apologetic look. Getting Anthony angry was the key to his immortal powers.

"Get moving Crow!" I shouted, using my shoulder to bust open the door.

"Ok! Ok! No need to tell me twice!" He said, following me out the door.

Using the renewed energy in me, I dashed off down the corridors of Anthony's fortress. He followed behind the whole way, destroying anything that came into contact with him.

"I'm going to kill you all!" He vowed, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"You gotta catch us first!" Crow teased, sticking his tongue out at Anthony while he soared backwards on his feathery black wings.

I only shook my head in embarrassment. I could see sunlight coming from the end of the tunnel floor. We were close. I was sure that we had made it out of danger when we reached the top floor of his fortress. Not so much. I stopped just before a 100 foot drop over the edge of a terrace to a forest below. No way for us to get down, except to fly. Being the careless person he always was; Crow wasn't looking where he was flying and smacked right into me. We were all sent tumbling off the edge of the cliff.

"Crow! Do something before you get us all killed!" I yelled over to him.

"Ok! Ok!" He shouted back.

Crow grabbed onto my ankle and dragged me by my foot up into the air. I had to hug Akiza close to my body or else she would have fallen to her death.

"Think Crow! When is it ever a good idea to grab people by their ankles? You could have killed us both!"

"Well sor-ry! I didn't know you could fly on your own!" Crow jeered.

Flashes of glinting metal appeared from behind Crow's head. Anthony was following us, and in close pursuit.

"Left!" I called up to Crow.

He banked left, just in time to avoid having sharp metal feathers pierce his back. Unfortunately, Crow was loosing altitude thanks to our added weight. Anthony's cruel attacks weren't making our situation any better.

"Right, then left!"

"Gah!"

He was struggling to fly and avoid attacks like this. If I didn't take action, we would all be filleted by the knives. Using my free foot, I kicked it up into Crow's gut.

"What the hell? You idiot, what was that for?" Crow yelled, wincing at the pain.

"Shut up and fly faster." I commanded crow.

"I can't, you're too heavy." He whined.

"Really?" I questioned.

A dark burst of energy engulfed Crow's wings as they grew to twice their normal length, almost as large as a jet plane's wings. We immediately gained at least fifty feet of altitude from Anthony.

Crow was busy firing off questions at me. "What was that? What did you do to me?"

"I just lent a little of my power to you, that's all."

"I had no idea you had this much energy. What do you do with it all?"

"Stuff." I said grinning.

The freedom we had was short lasted as Anthony soared up silently behind Crow. I caught his movements and acted fast.

"Down Crow!"

Crow folded his wings for a brief second, dropping us safely out of harm's way.

"Ok, how are we supposed to get rid of him?" Crow asked, checking over his shoulders for Anthony.

"We face him."

"Are you insane?" Crow was flabbergasted, "He'll kill us! I can't fight like this!"

"Trust me. I know exactly what I'm doing."

Crow shook his head, but stopped flying forward and held his altitude in the sky. Anthony came up shortly, charging at full force towards me and Akiza.

"Wait for it." I commanded, focusing on Anthony's left wing joint.

He was getting closer, and in about ten seconds Anthony was in range.

"Crow, when I say, thrust your right wing tip out at shoulder level."

"Shoulder level. Got it."

"Here goes. 10, 9, 8, 7…

Anthony was only meters away with a fist ready to clobber Crow right out of the sky.

"…6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Now!"

Crow thrust his wing out at the exact moment when Anthony's punch was in range. It shattered through the metal wing joint, tearing out the rest of the wing, and causing Anthony to fall towards the forest below. He didn't crash, but merely grabbed the top of a pine tree to steady his body. No blood escaped the wound, but something else did. Oil.

"_That can't be right. How is Anthony bleeding oil when he's part human like us? Something weird is going on here, and I need to find answers."_

"To Akiza's place or Kalin's?" Crow asked.

"Akiza's. She needs rest and you need a shower; you reek of blood."

Crow grumbled under his breath about "saving your sorry self", but changed course to Akiza's house in the Northern Section of New Domino City.

* * *

><p>"What the bloody hell was that?" Jack yelled at Anthony who was now sitting on a rock ledge, cleaning his wing pieces. "That was the most downright disgusting fight I have ever seen. You took one hit and fell from the air like a rock."<p>

"So, did you get anything useful from watching that?" Anthony asked, ignoring Jack's rude comments.

"Yeah. Seems that girl has an even greater force than I thought." He said, looking off at the small speck of what were Crow's wings. "After all, you said Yusei was on Death's door. No one could have survived that, unless some sort of sacrifice was given."

"In this case, It was power that was given." Anthony explained, finishing up piecing the wing blades back together. "What's our next target?"

"You're familiar with the coot Kalin Kessler, right?"

"The insane librarian? Yeah, I've known him for a time."

"Seems he has a little bit of dirt on Yusei's past. I wonder what we can _find_ there." Jack said in an all too sly tone.

"Bribe?" Anthony asked.

Jack grinned as wide as a hyena. "No Anthony, something much more _personal_."

* * *

><p>LOL, Zombies! (It was from a movie)<p>

So how's the story so far? I hoped you liked it.

I actually fell down a flight of staris today, so my head really hurts. But I wanted to finish sooo badly!

Ok so the next chapter is called:

The Price of Freedom

Until my next update! See Ya ;)


	14. The Price of Freedom

**Hey everyone. sorry for not updating. I've been really busy right now.**

**This was a really hard chapter. It might be rushed, so sorry in advance.**

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><p><strong>The Price Of Freedom<strong>

"_Two days. That's how long Akiza's been in her comatose state."_

They were at Akiza's house. Crow was constantly checking for Anthony while Yusei watched over Akiza in her sleep. Her condition hadn't changed at all in the last three hours, piling guilt on Yusei's shoulders with every passing minute. If there was ever a time Yusei was sorry, it was here and now. Akiza had been the one who saved him over and over, even though her own life was put at risk. First Sherry, then Kalin, and now Anthony as well. She was the one protecting him, even thought it was his job to protect her. Hatred boiled up inside of Yusei's heart, and he had to slam his fist into his other hand in order to keep himself from exploding with it.

"_What a jerk I must be to her. Had I know that it was going to be this rough; I wouldn't have done this to Akiza. Just face the facts; you're the reason Sherry was after her, why Anthony almost killed Crow, and why Akiza is on death's doorstep!"_

"Damn It!" I screamed, as I punched a hole through the nearest wall.

The resulting splintering sound of wood caused Crow to rush into the room panicking in surprise.

"Yusei! What in the world is…! Oh no, not again. Don't do this to me Yus." Crow sighed.

While I pulled my hand out of the wall, Crow walked over and mended the giant hole I punched into it. He then shook his head and placed his hand firmly on my shoulder.

"Just let it go already." Crow instructed.

I pulled away from Crow's grasp. "There's no way I can do that."

"What's the matter with you man?" Crow shouted. "Don't you see what you're doing? Putting the blame on yourself, acting like you can handle everything. Just who do you think you are?"

"That's enough!" I countered.

I let lose my anger onto Crow by delivering punch after punch to him. Crow staggered backwards with every blow until he slammed into the wall. Blood ran down the left side of his mouth in a solid crimson line. Bruises had begun to form as a result of Crow's quickened healing abilities. His head was tilted down away from me, but I could still feel his fiery temper.

"You sicken me." Crow cursed.

He raised his head, revealing the coldest, hardest, and most hatred filled stare I had ever seen. Crow's slate-grey eyes were sharp and relentless as they pierced the very core of my soul. I stepped back in fear. Crow wasn't about to let me off easily. In the blink of an eye he was only inches away from me, ready to fight back.

"This one's for Sherry's guilt!" He yelled, shoving his first punch right into my gut.

I had no time to protect myself. I coughed up blood from the intense impact and tried to regain my grip. Crow had no time for rest as he unleashed another crushing blow.

"Kalin's!" the punch made a left hook across my face. "Anthony's next!" Crow followed up with a right hook.

My face was bleeding all over, but I wasn't able to do a single thing about it. If Crow was trying to teach me about letting go of hatred, why was this pain necessary?

"_Why should I even exist in the first place? Akiza…would be…better off if I didn't…"_

"This one is…Jack's own twisted heart." Crow said flatly as he delivered the last punch straight to my forehead, throwing me off balance and onto the floor.

"_When did Crow…get so strong?"_

That was my last thought before falling sharply into a black void.

"Rest easy Yusei," I said.

Yusei was now lying on the bedroom floor, unconscious after my last blow. A small trickle of blood was running down the side of his head, but it was nothing that the dark power couldn't handle.

"_What's the matter with you, Yusei? You probably thought that I was stronger than you this time. That isn't the case here. Your mind was so clouded with hatred that you suppressed your own abilities. You changed, not me."_

I stood in the middle of the quiet room, listening to the sound of breathing coming from both Akiza and Yusei.

"Jack's would have destroyed you if it was any lower. Clear your head before you think of fighting me again."

I checked both Akiza and Yusei for the last time before slowly striding out into the hallway and shutting the door.

* * *

><p>"How long do we have to wait like this?"<p>

"Shh! You don't want to wake her yet."

"But we need help _now_!"

Voices echoed around my head. High and tight, like frightened children's voices. I opened my eyes slowly to see tall pillars of brown and patches of green like thick clouds overhead. I blinked rapidly a few times to clear my vision and realized that the pillars and clouds were actually trees.

"_Wha- a forest? How in the world did I get here?" _I asked myself.

"Ooo, looks like she's awake now." A little fairy creature said, floating over my head.

"Ahhh!" I screamed, sitting up and scooting backwards.

"Ahhhhh!" The fairy creature screamed, grabbing onto the other fairy.

"Who-who exactly are you?" I stuttered, pointing my finger at the fairies.

One of the fairies, a girl with teal pigtails, sighed at the other one and explained everything to me.

"You see, we are the spirit fairies who guard your unconscious mind."

"Spirit…fairies?" I asked.

"Yes," The little fairy nodded. "We are the protectors and moderators of your memories. We cannot be seen by anyone else, except by the person who we resided originally in."

"My memories? Does this mean you've known what's happened to me this whole time?" I probed deeper with my questions.

"Yes and no. We don't know what people were saying because the only thing we see is the "footage" of your memories." She explained.

I stood up and walked over to where the two fairies were uh, floating. They were a lot smaller than I thought. They were each about five inches tall with shining wings on their backs that sparkled with some kind of fairy dust. They both had teal colored hair, the girl having two pigtails off to the side of her head and the boy with one hanging down in the back. The girl was wearing a white cloak with pink decorations on it, a white shirt underneath, a pink skirt that cut down to just above her knees, and white slipper like shoes. She was also carrying a dark wood staff with a shining sphere in the end. Beside her, the boy was wearing a blue cape with a grey short sleeved shirt and brown pants that led down to his grey boots. He was also wearing various armor plates such as a chest plate, arm guards, groin guard, and leg guards. A leather utility bet held hilts and a single sword tucked into a sheath for protection.

"Oh, before I forget again, I'm Luna and this is my twin brother Leo." Luna said.

Leo was clutching his sister, obviously traumatized from me screaming at him earlier.

"If you're wondering about our strange outfits, it's because I'm a mage and Leo here is supposed to be a warrior. Now stop shaking in fear and let go of my cloak!" She ripped her cloak out of her brother's hands and shoved him backwards.

Leo went tumbling into a tree and plopped onto the ground. He growled in frustration and began to battle with his sister, swinging with his sword while Luna deflected with her staff. I decided to break up the fight by grabbing both of their wings and holding them apart from each other.

"Let me go you old hag!" Leo screamed, wriggling to try and get his wings free.

Leo was pissing me off now and I really wanted to crush his wings, but instead I took it out at him by yelling.

"Listen kid, I don't know why I'm here, but I want an explanation and I want it now!" I yelled back at him.

He just froze in mid-struggle and stared at me in fear. Luna watched her brother, but didn't give support of criticism to either side of our argument. I softened my expression and let go of both Luna and Leo's wings. However instead of running from me, Leo just floated there, still staring at me.

"We, uh, well, you see…" Leo began to explain, scratching the back of his head with his right hand.

"We need your help to defeat the evil Queen Azika." Luna finished.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Oh, oh I know!" Leo interrupted, fluttering up and down in the air. "She's this evil clone sort of thing that has taken control of your body and sent you spiraling into a coma!"

"Leo! You weren't supposed to tell her yet, remember?" Luna lectured.

"Whoa, whoa, no one said anything about mind control, an evil queen clone, or me becoming the hero here." I protested, holding up my hands in defense.

"But, but, you're the only one who can do it!" Leo whined.

"Why don't you? I thought you were the "protectors", remember?" I reminded Leo.

"Yeah, but we can't fight six-foot giant mutant Cyclops and evil dragons!"

Luna smacked her palm into her forehead at Leo's stupidity: Again with the ugly details.

"What? There's no way I could possibly do that!"

"But…but…"

"But nothing. I'm finding my way out of here."

I turned my back to the twins and began walking away to find an exit out of this weird forest place. I had taken only a few steps when a low rumbling sound echoed through the trees.

"_What was that?"_

I whirled around to find the little fairies cowering in fear behind a nearby tree. The rumbling sound grew louder with each passing minute, growing into a full out roar.

Luna began to cry in fear, "Wahhhh! It's one of the evil shadow minions!"

She wasn't exaggerating on this fact either. A giant dragon, pitch black with fangs that dripped with venom, sharp scales that protected against all striking attacks, and the wind power of a hurricane, was now barreling towards at high speeds. I was too terrified to move. Instead, I called back to Luna:

"What now Luna? How do I stop this thing?" my voice sounded high and frightened.

"Use the mark!"

The dragon slowed and began flapping its enormous wings and high speeds. I dug my foot into the ground to keep myself from flying away.

"How?" I shouted over the fierce winds.

"Just focus! Concentrate on building up energy in your mark and then project it at your target!" Luna instructed.

"Easier said then done!"

"_Ok. Calm down Akiza, you can do this!"_

Concentration. That was my main focus. I closed my eyes and held out my right hand. I felt it get hotter as I willed my body to gather the energy at the focal point in the center of my hand. A red ball of electricity crackled and fizzed on the end. Just as the dragon reared its ugly head to attack, I snapped open my eyes and let the electricity ball fly straight into its mouth. A shockwave rippled through the dragon's body as it stood there screaming in pain. As it died, the dragon's body disappeared before my eyes into a cloud of black dust.

"That was…AWESOME!" Leo screamed in joy.

"You did great Akiza! Of course you have what it takes to be a hero." Luna complimented.

I turned my head away as I blushed ever so slightly. "Thanks, but it was nothing."

"So…do you think you can help us?" The twins chimed in unison.

I thought it over for a moment. I had two choices. A: wander aimlessly around in this weird world and try to find my own way home. Or B: enlist the twins' help and defeat this evil queen in order to save them and my memories. Ok, so the choices were obviously a no-brainer at this point.

I nodded. "Of course."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile…<p>

Kalin fought hard to catch his breath. It was a two-on-one match between Him, Jack, and Anthony. Jack and Anthony had the advantage and were giving him a run for his money. Anthony was using medical like blades to swing precise slashes at Kalin. He had already learned once what kind of deadly wounds it was able to make. The burning pain in his left shoulder left him one hand short, and in a severe disadvantage. Jack had slayed all of his precious owls, including Clairwen. He had a golden Shinigami scythe decorated with a skull on top of a pole, wrapped by two snakes and sprouting wings on either side. One became the long, curved blade, and the other was a blunt object for hammering and knocking people out.

"Give it up Kalin!" Jack threatened, jabbing his scythe's blunt wing end into Kalin's chest.

He was cornered, nowhere to run and no way to hide what he knew.

"Make the punishment easier on yourself." Anthony instructed.

I gave a slight chuckle. "As if. There's no way you'll get me to talk."

"Don't have to." Jack replied. "The scythe can pierce your memories, revealing to me all of your dark secrets without having to do anything to you."

My eyes widened with shock. "But that kind of attack…would kill me! You're not really serious about this are you?" I asked in a panic.

Jack's grin said it all. He was going to kill me to get what he wanted. The information on Yusei's past and present. What Yusei had entrusted me to keep a secret would fall into the hands of our enemies. Jack pulled back slightly on the scythe and lifted it above my head.

"Farewell Kalin." Anthony stated coldly.

"And good riddance!" Jack yelled, bringing the scythe down and into my skull.

I screamed in pain as my memories began to be extracted from my mind. I saw my whole life flash before me; my child hood, my imprisonment, but most importantly, my friends. Yusei, Crow, Akiza, even Jack at one point.

"_I'm sorry Yusei…Forgive me."_

That was the last thought I had before everything went black.

"What a fool," Jack scowled.

Blood was everywhere, pooling around Kalin's dead body. He lay on the floor, his mouth open and amber eyes open wide in shock and pain. He looked every bit as weak and helpless as Jack knew him to be. Jack spit on Kalin's corpse and stomped off in anger. Anthony stayed behind, walking over to inspect Kalin. He knelt down on one knee and ever so carefully rolled him onto his back. Anthony proceeded to close his eyes and mouth, even going out of his way to fold his hands over his stomach and wipe his face free of blood.

"There is no reason to not honor your death, brother." Anthony whispered.

He finished his small funeral ceremony by laying Clairwen's body next to Kalin as well.

"Rest easy now."

"Hurry up Anthony! We've got better things to do than waste time on silly funerals," Jack barked, "I need to get this information back to Father for reviewing."

Anthony took one last look at Kalin before turning his back and following Jack's lead back to the Organization's headquarters.

A sudden pain shot through Crow's chest as he sat on the roof of Akiza's house. The only time that this had happened was when Sherry…

"No. Kalin, it's you isn't it…?" Crow whispered.

A tear slid down Crow's cheek, followed by many others. This time, he didn't stop himself from wiping them away. He had just lost one of his dearest friends at the hands of an evil demon and his steel vulture. Crow tightened his fist so much that it began to bleed, a small line running down onto the roof. As if almost on command, the sky grew dark and poured rain onto the streets of New Domino City.

"Gaahhhhhh!" Crow cried out to the raining sky.

* * *

><p>Yusei might not have been conscious, but he felt it as well. Tears streamed down his face; as if Crow's sadness pierced his very soul. He felt this pain in his unconscious mind, telling him to find the man who did this. Only one option remained for the unlikely Trio.<p>

Find whoever did this and:

Kill Them

* * *

><p>Weird ending, I know. Poor Kalin :(<p>

I won't be updating at all next week. I'm at a sleepaway camp for the whole week.

A whole week. One whole freekin week. so sorry for all delays. :)

Next chapter:

Becoming a Hero


	15. Becoming A Hero

**NOT DEAD, NOT DEAD, NOT DEAD! No, I'm not dead, i just had some problems! Look, I was on my way up Plot mountain, when an avalanche buried me, leaving me stuck without a resolve. Then Darkness Bandit (bless her heart) gave me the hope of finishing! So flame me, kill me, do whatever you want, but just don't hate the story! Please? Onto the chapter! XD**

* * *

><p><strong>Becoming a Hero<strong>

_We begin this story in Akiza's unconscious mind…_

"Are we there yet?" Leo whined.

"Leo, for the thirty-seventh time, NO!" Luna yelled back at her brother.

I sighed and hung my head. Following these fairies to find the evil queen seemed like a good idea at first. Now, it was constant bickering and endless hours of walking and running through canyons, mountains, and gray fields with piles of ashes everywhere. No doubt from the Dragons that encircled the skies, torching everything and everyone who got in the way. As if the trip wasn't long enough, the dragon minions and other hideous creatures were ordered to destroy. By now, the usage of my mark had become almost monotonous, requiring little or no effort for me to aim, fire a pressurized beam, and kill the beasts.

"Guys…would you…stop…shouting…already?" I complained, gasping for breath as we sprinted down through the winding curves of the valley to escape a hideous ogre chasing us.

I halted on a point and focused my energy in my mark for a killing strike. As I spun and took aim, the ogre attempted to turn around, but to no avail.

"Die, beast!" I shouted as the energy beam shot out and pierced his heart, like an arrow so true.

The ogre took one last step before tumbling down into a heap of bones and flesh on the valley floor. I stood there, staring and panting to try and catch my breath from all the extensive running. Luna and Leo flew to my side and rested on my shoulders panting as well.

"Good shot, Akiza." Leo complimented on the accuracy, "I thought for a second we would be goners."

"No thanks to you and your obnoxious mouth, _Leo_." Luna hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

"Hey, no need to get angry," I tried to reason with the twins, "How much farther until the castle?"

Luna and Leo both floated in the air for a few minutes, pondering and calculating the distance. In a flash, Leo pounded his hand into the other making a smacking sound.

"I got it! All we have to do is follow this canyon and we should be there in no time."

I didn't think it would be that simple. "Are you sure?"

Luna nodded, "I know this route too. It should take us to the back entrance of the castle."

"Ok, If you say so..."

And thus, began the long and tenacious trekking across the barren canyon floor. Lucky for us, the party was hardly noticed in the deep gorge, and no dragon in their right mind would have ever stopped down for a look.

While Leo and Luna chatted away, I thought quietly to myself. _"Why me? What did I do wrong in order to deserve this punishment? Is it a punishment? This mark that binds me to Yusei is much stronger than I thought. I wonder If he feels for me the way I do..."_

"Aki, Aki, look! We're here!" Leo's voice shattered my thoughts.

I looked with great curiosity at Leo, "Aki? Is that a nickname?"

Luna sighed for what seemed like the 20th time today, "Yes it is. He does that a lot, please excuse his behavior." she bowed and apologized

"No, no, it's ok!" I protested, waving my hands quickly in defense.

"Hellllloooo? Are we gonna sneak in the castle or what?" Leo demanded, placing his hands on his hips.

"Right, right." I muttered.

A grunt of boredom was heard not to far ahead from some kind of creature; causing me to jump and duck down to avoid catching its gaze. We scurried behind a large boulder for shelter and cover, which easily hid our posse. The back door was nothing grand, merely a gray iron door, tall and wide enough for a single person to fit through. Two guards were both standing firm, clad in shining black armor with dangerous looking spears in one hand.

"What's the plan?" Leo whispered as quietly as he could.

"Hmm..." I hummed, thinking to myself for a minute. Suddenly, a brilliant scheme hatched inside my mind. "Luna, Leo, I have a plan, but it will take both of you to make it work."

The twins stared dumbly at each other for a second, but leaned closer as I fed my malicious plan to their awaiting ears.

* * *

><p>"So, how's the family?"<p>

"Fine. Just got a new house."

"That's nice."

While the two guards conversed, two fairies each carrying a heavy stone, loomed over their heads. They both grinned maliciously at each other before commencing their plan.

"HEY STUPID!" Leo screamed.

The guards whirled around, only to be thumped in the head with the rocks, knocking them out. Leo cheered, Luna shushed him, and I carefully removed the armor from one of the unconscious guards.

"That was awesome!" Leo gave an enthusiastic fist pump into the air. "Let's do it again!"

"Leo! Be serious! We still have to beat the queen before we can act all happy." Luna scolded, punching her brother's arm.

I finished slipping on the armor and turned my attention to the bickering twins. "Quit it you two!"

"He-She started it!" They both accused in unison.

"I don't care who did, I'm putting a stop to it."

The twins grumbled, but I ignored them and pulled the black helmet over my head to cover my hair and head, completing the outfit. It was a bit too big for me, but it covered the fact that I was a human and not one of the other guards.

"Alright, let's get to that throne room." The twins nodded.

We pushed open the dark door and scampered quietly as we could through the halls. The whole place was made of black marble that seemed to suck in the light. I could feel my mark glowing in a painful way, alerting my senses to danger. I heard hushed voices from down one of the corridors. Thinking fast, I pulled Leo and Luna under my helmet and placed it back on, careful not to crush the two. I stood very, very, still at the right side of a door and said nothing.

"Hey, did you hear about that girl?"

"You mean the one they call Akiza?"

"Yeah, her. I've herd the other say she's trying to overthrow the Queen."

One of the guards laughed. "Seriously? That girl's got nothing on us. I doubt she'll make it far..."

The two guard, oblivious to Akiza, continued on their way down the hall, laughing and talking about the 'takeover' progress. I lifted up my helmet, leaving the twins to tumble out.

"Oww! Tell us next time before you shove us in a small space!" Leo whined, stretching his back.

"We don't have time you two. Where's the queen's chamber?" I asked, trying to move as quickly as possible.

"We're standing right in front of it." Luna explained, pointing to the door behind me.

It was a dark burgundy colored door, with what appeared to be blooming rose designs carved in elegant strokes across the whole frame. There was no handle. First, we tried pushing, but that only served to give us splinters from the carved thorns. I stood, staring at the door, trying to will the damn thing open.

"It's locked." I muttered, stringing a long curse chain in my head.

The twins thought for a moment, then they looked at each other and nodded. "We'll open the door!" They said in unison.

I stared at them. "How exactly are you going to do that?"

"We can open portals through solid surfaces by using our spirit keys." Luna explained.

"Why didn't you use them sooner?" I asked.

It was Leo's turn to speak. "We would get through, but you wouldn't. The keys make portals big enough for our size only."

"How does this help me get through?"

"If we combine the seven spirit keys, it'll make a portal big enough for you to go through." Luna said, pulling out four small keys from her pocket.

"Just you, though. We have to be able to get you out if or before you die." Leo pulled out three keys.

"Positive Leo!" Luna smacked him upside the head.

"Sorry!" Leo whined, rubbing the sore spot.

Leo and Luna threw the keys into the air, sending them tumbling before they stopped in a vertical midair circle. The two of them faced each other and intertwined hands.

"When we say go, jump through the circle in the door!" Luna shouted.

"Got it!"

"Ix, ney, ney, kuuri, jaan..." The twins chanted. The keys began to glow and shoot beams of light at the door.

The beams became wider and wider until the space around the door became hazy looking. I stepped closer to the circle, ready to jump through at any given moment.

"Akiza! GO!" Luna shouted.

I crouched for a moment before springing into a diving jump and rolling to my knees on the other side. I waited for a moment, making sure nothing was broken.

_'Wait! What about the twins?'_ I thought.

I rushed over to the door portal, but it was already too small for the two to get through.

"Luna! Leo!" I called.

"...Don't worry about us! We'll be fine!" That was Luna.

"...light sword..." Leo was about to shout something else when the door closed up completely.

"Luna! Leo!" I pounded my fist on the door, trying in vain to open it.

"That's a pointless effort." A dark and devious voice hissed behind me.

I whirled around to face the Queen...and came face to face with myself. Well, what looked like me. Her hair was more of a red color, and her face was twisted in a devilish smile. She had blood red eyes that seemed to burn into my soul. On her body, was a raven kimono with a magenta belt and black wood sandals. Panic took over, freezing my body stiff.

_'That-that can't be me! I'm right here, and I'm definitely me!'_

The other me chuckled. "Surprised? This is _your_ mind Akiza. In here, you are your own worst enemy!"

"Who are you?" I cried. "And what are you doing to me?"

"My name is Azika, contrary to the belief of me being Akiza. I'm here to kill you, simple as that." Azika shrugged, pulling out a black bladed katana[1].

"Why kill me?" I struggled for answers.

"If you die, Yusei will fall as well. My purpose for being created was to kill you, so I could get to Yusei." She shifted into a fighting stance.

"Created? Wait a second... Anthony created you!" I accused, pointing a finger at Azika.

She waved her hand at me, "Yeah, yeah, everyone knows that. Let's just get on with the killing already."

"Huh? Everyone? Who knows?" I asked, feeling very puzzled.

Azika huffed and began explaining again, "The other guardians of your mind knew who I was and what I was up to. They all tried to stop me, but instead failed miserably. I only need to find the two fairy spirits in order to completely rule your mind."

_'Luna and Leo?'_ I gasped slightly. _'So that's why they were so desperate to get help. They're the last spirits protecting me from Azika's clutches.'_

"Bu-!"

"NO MORE FUCKING QUESTIONS!" Azika screeched, pulling her katana up over her shoulder. "You die now!"

She charged at me, but her reaction time was quite slow, giving me a window to dash to the side and escape the sword. Frustrated, the queen charged again in a different pattern. I quickly caught on and dodged that blow too.

"Take this!" I shouted, firing a energy beam from my mark.

Azika blocked it with her sword, which then began to glow with power. She smiled maliciously and sped up her assault.

_'Shit! That was stupid, her sword absorbed my power!'_ I cursed bitterly.

I had less time to think about how to attack her, and spent most of my energy just dodging the glowing katana from slicing through my skull. Every time there was an opening, I fired a single beam. However, Azika only absorbed it, either from her body or her sword. On one of her blows, the katana landed hard into the wall behind me and stuck there. She pulled on the blade, but it stubbornly refused to move. I sprinted away from there as fast as I could and went over my attack options.

_'Damn. I've got little choice here. Even if I do get my energy beams ready, Azika will only absorb them. Unless...what Leo said about a light sword-'_

My thoughts were interrupted by a very violent "DIE BITCH!" coming from Azika as she tried to slam the sword on top of my head. I swerved to the side as the blade drove itself into the ground, and got stuck once again. I frowned. Was my mind-self really this stupid?

With little time to think, I refocused all my mark energy into one point.

_'Light sword, light sword, light sword...'_ I thought, mimicking the process I used to summon the beams.

Sure enough, a bright flash of crimson light appeared in the palm of my hand before transforming into a new shape. A long, thin bladed sword was resting on my palm, glowing with a strange, but pure light. The guard between the handle was smooth silver, decorated with small, but elegant roses. My hilt was a magenta color, wrapped strings around it so a better grip could be found.

I took the blade into my hand, and held it in a fighting stance.

_'Magnum Rose'_ a voice whispered.

"You have a name?" I asked it.

_'...yes.'_ the voice seemed to hesitate when talking.

"Alright, Magnum Rose, let's show this witch how I do things around here!" I said, pulling the blade to my side and charging.

Azika pulled out her katana as well, and charged at the same speed. Our sword met, creating an eerie glow at the center. Electricity crackled and the tension grew as we both forced more power into our weapons.

_'...release the first gate. It will lend you more strength' _Magnum Rose whispered.

"_How?" _I asked it through telepathy.

_'...think of the one you cherish most. They will give you the answer.'_

I thought hard. Who did I cherish most? My mother and father? No, they were often on business trips or meetings far off. My friends? Certainly not. I had few friends after all. That left one person.

"Yusei!" I cried, pushing my sword hard against Azika's katana.

My blade's light glowed brighter, a surge of energy flowing in harmony between the two of us. Azika resisted the force, but her blade was no match. In one swift motion, I forced my blade right through hers and cut the dammed thing in two pieces. The black blade fizzed and sputtered for a moment, but disappeared in a flash of black smoke.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Azika chanted, grasping her hair. "This isn't supposed to happen!"

"Oh it it." I assured her. "Now you'll pay for everything you've done!" I snapped Magnum Rose back at a deadly angle and swung full force at Azika.

A slicing sound was heard. A chocking sob. Then, Queen Azika fell to her knees and disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, leaving nothing behind but a memory.

"Thank you, Magnum Rose." I whispered to the sword.

_'Call for me...if you ever need help.' _it said before fading away into my mark.

I nodded. A small wind fluttered through the room. Weird. There wasn't a draft before. It began to increase velocity, becoming a swirling cyclone that whipped around the room. I collapsed onto my knees and cupped my hand over my ears, trying to block out the harsh wind's vibrations.

"Luna! Leo! Yusei!" I called. Everything went black.

* * *

><p>When I awoke, I was in my bedroom again.<p>

"_A dream? It was all some hideous dream?"_

I shakily drew in a deep breath. It all seemed so real, the fairies, the Queen, the plot against us... the sword.

"_If it wasn't a dream, then Magnum Rose should come at my call, shouldn't it?"_ I thought.

_'Not yet it won't.' _a young child's voice said.

"_L-Luna?"_

_'You didn't dream Akiza, it all happened."_

"_Leo?"_

_'Thanks for saving us. We owe you a favor, if you ever need it.'_

_'Yeah! And don't be afraid to stop by again sometime! Although you'll probably only need to come back if there's some major crisis going on.'_

A small smacking sound was heard.

_'Leo!' _Luna hissed.

_'Sor-ry!'_ Leo whined.

"_Hey, guys."_ I interrupted.

_'Yes?'_ they said together.

"_Thanks for everything." _I thought smiling.

_'No problem. You're our hero Akiza, we will always be by your side.'_

_'Yeah! Yeah! You've become the most mega awesome, super cool, female hero EVAH!' _Leo shouted.

I giggled._ "Thanks."_

_'No problem!'_

_'We'll see you later Akiza!'_ Luna wished a goodbye before their voices faded away completely.

I smiled. Those two may be so different from each other, but the way they worked together made them adorably cute. I sat up from my bed and hoisted myself up. I walked a couple of steps before tripping on a solid object and landing on top of it. It didn't move, but it was cold to the touch. Scrambling backwards, I found myself on top of Yusei's stone still body.

"Y-Yusei?" I gasped, examining him.

No wounds as far as I could tell, just no movement and no breathing. Oh my God...he's probably dead!

"Yusei!" I cried, louder this time. Again he didn't move. Was I too late? Had Azika's magic somehow work it's way into Yusei as well? I chocked back a sob.

Using the back of my hand, I brushed away a small strand of flyaway hair in Yusei's eyes. They weren't open, but the serene look on his face was enough to tell me that he wasn't in pain when he died. That's good. I cupped the side of his face with my hand. His skin was cold, but soft to the touch, leaving me to wonder why I didn't see how lovely Yusei looked before.

I leaned in closer. I never really did get to share a truly enjoyable kiss with him. "Yu-sei," I whispered, my lips only inches from his. I pressed mine to his, feeling the plush lips fill me with a flying sensation.

I began feeling warm in the cheeks, either from the fact I was the one extending the kiss, or the fact he was kissing back.

Wait a sec, rewind that part. SAY WHAT, SAY WHAT?

Oh yeah, definitely kissing back. I could feel Yusei running his fingers roaming gently down my sides, not too close to anything personal. H ran his tongue over the bottom of my lip, asking for permission to enter. I let him, and soon his muscle was touching and teasing min, inviting m to join. I did, hesitantly I might add. I wasn't good at this sort of stuff, but God Yusei was good! He earned a few moans from me, that sneaky bastard. He tasted like mint, encase in a slight cinnamon. I ran my fingers through his soft spikes, earning at least one moan from him.

"_Hah! So I CAN arouse you, you cunning devil."_

Sadly, our need for air over powered both of us, and we broke the kiss. Panting heavily, I lay down on his chest, feeling both the warmth and his heartbeat. It was pounding in steady rhythm, while mine was practically ricocheting out of this world.

"Akiza, you know you're almost to sexy to resist when you do that." Yusei said, his words sliding like butter.

I began blushing a dark crimson. Oh God, couldn't you have picked a better time? I could melt on the floor right here and now.

"..You dirty cheater. You didn't have to pretend to be dead to do this." I mumbled, trying to hide my steady blush.

He seemed surprised. "I wasn't pretending. Did something happen to me while I was sleeping?"

What now? Do I tell him the truth? It's not like I know what happened while he was sleeping. We both were.

"Uh, nothing important. You just felt a bit cold." I bit my lip, hoping Yusei would believe that.

"Must be the air conditioning." He grumbled.

Yusei began to sit up, pushing me farther down until I was sitting over his lap, my back against his firmly toned chest. He was warm now, definitely alive. Yusei ran his fingers through my hair, leaving my skin feeling prickly at his touch.

"So, were you _trying _to take advantage of me?" Yusei whispered slyly in my ear.

"Huh? No, nothing like that..." I mumbled, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You sure?" He wrapped one of his arms around my waist.

Ok, my brain was turning to mush again. Damn that sly devil and his charms.

"No, I just didn't like seeing you dead."

"Really?" He seemed slightly surprised, but his voice didn't falter once from that soft whisper. "Then if you had the chance to do it again, and knew I was pretending, would you have done what you did anyway?"

"Maybe..." I giggled.

Yusei chuckled. "Now, now Princess, I was expecting a full answer."

"You sly devil." I retorted.

"Temper, temper. Best to keep that attitude for later, my love."

Love? Does that mean Yusei loves me? I squirmed a bit at the thought, realizing now how awkward of a position I was in.

"Are you feeling ok?" Yusei asked in concern, loosening his hold. "You started fidgeting when I said "Love"."

"Uh, I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed, that's all." I whispered.

He let go, and we moved away from each other. I fidgeted with my hair, and Yusei with his hands, bright blush still apparent on both our faces. I looked over at Yusei, who smiled at me. I smiled back.

At that moment, Pea Brained Crow had to come rushing in, slamming my door and freaking out about something.

"Yusei! C'mon man! Something terrible has happened!" he cried, pacing around the room.

"Slow down Crow. This isn't the time for panic." Yusei stated calmly.

"It is! Kalin's dead!"

Yusei froze, an icy glare on his face. I could feel the murderous intentions radiating off of him. Whatever happened next, wasn't going to end well...

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><p>[1] It's a Japanese sword. Pretty cool looking if you ask me.<p>

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><p>ARE YOU PEOPLE HAPPY YET? I'm sorry! Please don't murder me! ToT<p>

No, this isn't going anywhere M related. I'm like, 14, I'm not gonna write "stuff" like that.

Anywayyy, this story is up and running, but I need your help with this. I need to know when to post chapters.

Leave a comment on what day you think I should get the next one out. Don't make it "tomorrow" or I'll find your house and sic evil guinea pigs with chainsaws upon your family...

Forgive and Review Please ;D


	16. Fighting Back

**It has been decided! MONDAY UPDATES! Yeah, 'cause I use Sunday to complete 50% of the stories. This has some creepy romance, IDK what you'd call it without revealing spoilers. Anywho, Enjoy :D**

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><p><strong>Fighting Back<strong>

"What?" Yusei asked more slowly this time.

"Kalin's dead. He was murdered," I muttered, leaning on the door frame.

I avoided eye contact with Yusei to prevent his temper from blowing sky-high. It rarely did, but ever since the incident with Akiza and Kalin's recent death, Yusei seemed more on edge than ever.

"Yusei..." Akiza spoke softly, trying to quell his rage.

She reached for his hand, but Yusei shoved hers aside and turned away.

"I want to be alone," He growled, shoving me out of the door and running out in a huff.

"But..." Akiza protested. When Yusei disappeared from view, she let out a sigh and sat back down on the floor. Akiza pulled her knees into her chest and rested her head on them. I couldn't tell if she was crying or not, but it was depressing none the less. How could Akiza understand if Yusei didn't explain things to her? I mean, we were practically brothers; Kalin, Yusei, Jack and I. Losing one meant losing a part of your family and part of your heart as well.

"Don't blame yourself for his attitude," I coaxed, "He's just got a lot on his mind, that's all."

Akiza lifted her head and gazed up at me with her soft brown eyes. Oh god, I felt like I was going to cry just looking at her. She was on the verge of tears and had so much confusion and angst written on her face. "Oh, ok then," Akiza mumbled softly.

"I um...I...I," I stuttered, searching for words to comfort Akiza.

"Yes?" She asked, gazing up at me.

I patted the top of her head. "I'll talk to Yusei, 'kay?"

Akiza smiled and gave a small nod. I grinned back and teleported myself to the rooftop. Just as I had suspected, Yusei was up here sulking like he always did. His bangs shadowed his face; only the bottom was visible. I sighed and dropped down onto the roof, sliding down so I was sitting a little father down than Yusei was.

"You know Yus; you could've just put on a facade for a while. Aki hates that you left her in the dark." I said, lying back on the roof to watch the sky.

"So what?" Yusei growled.

"Geeze, who crapped in your cornflakes?" I joked in a sarcastic tone.

Yusei's foot slammed into the top of my head, sending me sliding off the roof, falling two stories, and hitting the ground face-first. Pain coursed through my nose and the coppery taste of blood filled my mouth. I'm lucky that I'm immortal. If something like this happened to a regular human, their nose would have been inside of their skull. I stood up and began cursing at Yusei, shaking my fist in anger.

"What the hell? Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

Yusei laughed. It was small and lasted for only a few seconds, but the laughter was a good sign. I smiled. Getting Yusei to laugh was payment enough for the nosebleed. Ow...ok, maybe not.

_'Damn Yusei. You owe me BIG TIME for this!'_

* * *

><p>I waited patiently for Crow to return. It's not like I was afraid of losing Yusei, I just hated to see him upset. Damn Jack for killing Kalin. I slammed my fist into the floor, sending it right through. I froze, slowly pulling my hand out and inspecting it for damage. Not a single scratch, nor a single drop of blood was spilled.<p>

"What the?" I checked the back of my hand. My mark wasn't glowing, but how was this power flowing through me?

Magnum Rose's words spoke again to me:

"_...Release the first gate, it will lend you power."_

Was this the power it was talking about? The fact that I was able to punch through solid objects? This was more of a good power than a bad one.

"_Finally! I get to show Yusei how I can assist him in fighting against the other immortals!"_ I thought cheerily.

I stood up in a flash and hurried out the door towards the backyard. I could shout to Yusei and Crow from there. As I opened the back door, a black colored slash rammed the wall beside it. I made a very girlie 'eep' noise and jumped back ten feet. I snapped my head to the side to find Yusei and Crow neck-to-neck with each other, rolling around on the ground.

"Guys!" I called.

The two ignored my call and continued beating the crap out of each other.

"Guys!" I called again, feeling slightly annoyed.

Yusei and Crow were now slapping each other like a bunch of girls pissed over who had better shoes. I clenched my teeth and tightened my fist into tight balls. The anger boiled up in my body until I could no longer control the feelings.

"WOULD YOU GUYS STOP FIGHTING FOR ONE FUCKING SECOND AND LISTEN?" I shouted.

They stopped, gave enormously pissed looks at each other and turned backs in a snooty way.

"My god, you two are the biggest pair of sissies I've ever seen." I said in a huff.

"Blame Mister Emo over here!" Crow whined, pointing at Yusei.

"Me? What did I ever do to you?" Yusei argued back.

"You were the one who-"

I watched as my mark began to glow again, the immortal spirit flowing through me. I growled in an angry feral way, letting the dark power that surged through my body take control. I pounded my fist into the ground; a shockwave emitting from it that split the earth into two pieces. Both boys fell backwards onto the ground as the splitting land separated them farther and farther apart. I brought my fist back up and blew off the wispy, black smoke from the top of my knuckles.

"Holy- Is _that_ what you were trying to tell us about?" Crow stuttered, staring at my once burning hand.

"No Dip, Sherlock." I growled in a sarcastic manner.

"Well, you have our attention." Yusei said, standing up.

"Thank you. I was just trying to say that because I can use my mark to fight, I should join you when we go up against the other immortals."

Crow started laughing hysterically, rolling on the ground in pain.

"Haha...you...you think...ahaha...that you...could stand a chance...hahah...against THEM?" Crow snorted, trying to suppress his laughing spasm.

I stomped over to Crow, anger in my eyes, and did one thing that could weaken any guy. I kicked him in the nuts. HARD.

"Holy Mother Ffff- GAH" Crow shouted painfully, assuming a fetal position and protecting himself from getting abused even more. "That- hurt a lot more than it should."

Yusei chuckled darkly. "It's because you and your pea-brained head didn't think to pay attention to little Aki's demonstration." His voice was right behind me, almost in my ear. I felt a string arm slip around my wait, pulling me in close to Yusei's well-toned body.

I felt my breath hitch in my throat. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry, princess. You looked so molestible; I guess I couldn't help myself." Yusei chuckled darkly.

I felt his soft lips, pressing gently against the side of my neck, sending shivers down my body. He moved lower and lower, eventually sliding part of my shirt over to my shoulder in order to kiss the skin underneath.

"Y-Yusei! S-stop..." I stuttered, trying to get a grip.

He laughed. "That's not what your heart is telling me."

Yusei switched to the other side, licking gently at my skin before kissing it. I couldn't help but to let out a breath moan. Damn Yusei and his kissing abilities. He slid the other side of my shirt off my shoulder to reach my collar bone. My eyes widened slightly. If he kept doing this, my shirt would fall off in no time.

"Yusei...don't..." I protested, trying to break away.

He only proceeded, to wrap his other arm around me waist and hold me tighter to his body. His mouth moved back to my ear.

"No." it was a hoarse and chilly whisper.

Yusei moved his mouth to right next to the crook of my neck. He bit down hard, making me gasp in pain. I tried to struggle out of his grip, but it was like trying to squeeze through iron bars. I could feel my skin being pierced, and Yusei moved back to study his handiwork. I took a chance and glanced at him, only to see the blood red eyes staring in hunger at my body.

"_Shit! He's not __supposed__ to be like this!"_ I thought.

"C-Crow!" I cried, trying to suppress my urge to scream.

"Shut up." Yusei commanded, biting down in the same spot again.

I cried out in pain, feeling tears come to my eyes. I didn't want this...no, not now. Yusei's canine teeth ripped through my flesh and into muscle. Blood dripped down from the wound and stained my shirt which came to my attention. Yusei sensed the change in my attention and tore his mouth away. I chocked on a sob, looking back to see blood running steadily down both sides of my shoulder.

"You're mine." He hissed, grabbing one side of my shirt. It was on pretty low, one tug and half of my torso would be exposed.

"Stop... Stop it!" I cried, struggling again to break free.

"One."

"_A countdown? Shit!"_

"Two."

"Don't!"

"Th-KYAAA!"

A foot came from the side, knocking Yusei away from me. I pulled my shirt back on and ran for the house, unwilling to look back. I slammed the door and sank down in defeat. I touched my wounded shoulder, only to recoil from the pain, blood staining a good part of my fingers.

"No...Never again..." I mumbled, burying my head in my hands.

"_Yusei. He's a monster. I was so close to being __assaulted__, possibly raped..."_ I thought miserably._ "Never again can I__ trust him."_

* * *

><p>"Bullshit!" I yelled, punching Yusei in the gut. "You expect me to believe an excuse like that?"<p>

"Crow, it's the truth!"

"Like hell it is!" I punched him again.

I awoke to find Akiza being held against Yusei. At first glance, i thought Yusei was trying to be intimate with her. However, having a bleeding bite mark on her shoulder and Yusei trying to pull off her shirt_, in public_, is not being intimate. I was lucky enough to have time to boomerang myself off a tree and get Yusei off before he did something he'd regret. Not like he already hadn't.

"What were you thinking? Were you _trying_ to molest her?" I asked, half yelling, half accusing.

"No! I told you it was that Immortal." Yusei snapped back.

"Bullcrap!" I yelled again.

Yusei gave me a bored look. "Nice vocabulary."

"Shuudup." I scoffed, crossing my arms.

Yusei shifted uncomfortably in his shackles. I had bound him to the ground with multiple chains around his arms, neck and legs, along with a spell circle, preventing his escape.

"You know that's not me." Yusei finally said after a moment.

I sighed. "Yeah, I know, I know. But what I saw just now, wasn't."

Yusei opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't go blaming the Immortal again!" I shouted.

"There's no other explanation!"

"Bullfuck!"

Yusei raised an eyebrow. "Does every swear word you know start with bull?"

"No. Just most." I said.

Yusei laughed, but soon went back to looking depressed. "What did I say?"

"Huh?"

"When I was with Akiza, what did I say?" Yusei asked again with more force.

"Uhh..." I scratched my head. "'You're mine' and 'Shut up' I think. You also started a countdown before you tried to pull off her shirt."

"Shit. Akiza hates me now, doesn't she?" Yusei cursed, hanging his head in shame.

"I guess. I mean, you tried to undress her, bit her shoulder, and molested the crap out of her." I said, listing the things on my fingers.

"Gee, thanks." Yusei groaned.

More awkward silence.

"Yusei, we just cause three gay babies to be born." I said after three minutes.

"What the heck do you fill your head with?" He asked, looking extremely grossed out.

I shrugged. "Things."

"Hey, Crow."

"Hm?"

"Can you go talk to Akiza for me?" Yusei asked, almost pleading.

"You sure?" I looked incredulously at him.

"Yeah. I need you to heal her shoulder and apologize for my earlier actions." Yusei's face brightened to what I'd call "almost positive".

"No problem." I said, rustling his hair on my way towards the house. "Hey, Yus."

"Yes?"

"Think about it, Ok? I'm not saying it was entirely your fault for those things, but I can't be sure."

I could see Yusei nodding behind me. I hated to chain him up like a dog, but I wasn't about to take chances if that _thing_ was to come up again. I took a deep breath and knocked on the back door.

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><p>"Akiza, It's me." Crow's voice, plus a knock came on the door.<p>

I turned around too quickly, sending pain up my shoulder. I gritted my teeth and stood up, leaning against the wall for support. I unlocked to door and Crow stepped in, concern written across his face.

"'You ok?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Didn't think so." Crow closed the door and led me over to the living room couch. I sat down and Crow placed his hand over my shoulder. I flinched, the pain shooting back up my shoulder again.

"Hold still." He said.

An unearthly purple light encased his hand for a moment. I could feel my skin healing, but not by much. Crow sighed and pulled back, revealing the blackened bite mark. It was covered in small scabs with blood still leaking from a few places.

"Sorry, I'm not good at healing others. I'd have Yusei do it, but..." Crow trailed off.

I looked away, not wanting to relive that moment, but it kept coming back. Yusei was acting so possessively, not to mention forceful. What exactly was he trying to do?

"Are you still thinking about 'it'?" Crow asked, plopping down next to me.

"Yeah. I can still feel his touch..." I said, unconsciously touching the bite mark.

"He told me to apologize for him. He didn't want to do that."

"How do you know that? I mean, he tried to _undress_ me Crow! How could Yusei not be doing that?" I cried.

Crow sighed and folded his hands behind his head as he leaned back on the couch.

"You know about the Immortal, right?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Do you know how the half and half soul switch got started?"

"Yusei said he lost his wings and almost bled to death. That's what I know." I said, looking curiously.

Crow snorted lightly. "As if. That did happen, but the Immortal agreement got started way before that."

"So, what _did_ happen?" I asked.

Crow's smile disappeared as he started the story.

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><p><em>Yusei, Jack, Kalin, and I were about 15 at the time. We lived normal lives with our parents. That is, until Sector Security decided to up its science research. Jack went willingly, Kalin was kidnapped, and Yusei was forced.<em>

"_What about you?"_

_My parents were murdered and I was also kidnapped. Sector Security came in and killed them both; said they were criminals who gave birth to an illegal son. I was dragged off, leaving everything I knew behind. We were put under hundreds of tests, DNA injections, and torture routines. On time, I remember waking up feeling stress building up on my back. As I was washing my face, I fell to the floor, pain filling every part of me. I screamed so loud, the scientists rushed in just in time to watch as two wings burst from my back. Blood spilled everywhere and I almost died from infection._

"_Sounds painful."_

_It was. But out of all of us, Yusei had it worst. Imagine your father dragging you to a testing facility and turning you into a monster. Yusei had just received the last of his injections when his father took him for a different reason._

"_What was that?"_

_He-he wanted to finalize the Immortal's passage into this world. So, Yusei's father...raped him._

"_He what?"_

_Yeah, I could hear him from my cell. I pounded on the door, begging to be let out so I could save him. I think both his parents did. That, or his mother beat him for acting gay._

"_But his father did it!"_

_That's the weird part. But it was probably just to have a reason for beating him. Yusei made the contract then and there, allowing him to escape from Security's clutches and kill his parents._

"_Did he offer to break you out too?"_

_Yeah. But I was acting stupid. He busted down my door and offered to pair up in order to destroy Sector Security. I saw the blood on Yusei's hands, so I thought he was going to kill me. I refused and tried to kill him myself. That's how I ended up working for WINGS._

"_WINGS?"_

_Winged Immortals of Nuclear Grade Science. Godwin came up with it._

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><p>"Sounds pretty dorky huh?" Crow asked.<p>

I shook my head. "WINGS is a fine name. Sure, the acronym is weird, but you guys are way better than nuclear grade science."

Crow gave a toothy smile. "Thanks, Aki."

I nodded. "So what are we going to do about Jack and Anthony?"

Crow looked at me in disbelief, "You serious about this?"

"Of course I am!"

"What about Yusei?" Crow was getting serious.

"You said it was his Immortal that was doing those things, right?"

"Yeah..."

"As long as the Immortal doesn't get out of control, I can handle it." I said, gripping my hand in confidence.

"I'll take care of that. So this means we have a three man team?"

"I'm a woman you know!" I shouted, feeling peeved.

"Just kidding." Crow smiled. "We'll be heading out tomorrow for WINGS' headquarters. Are you ready for this?"

I nodded. "You bet."

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><p>Next chapter we get to the blood and guts and gore scenes, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.<p>

I think what I meant to say was MOLESTING, but I didn't want to give it away. If you're asking why Akiza didn't just summon her sword or command Yusei to stop, It's cause she was gripped by MORTAL TERROR :P

I heard the GAY BABY thing from somewhere, so I just did it per minute. Just to be weird and make Crow a useless PEA BRAIN.

I don't know why, but I keep CAPATALIZING THINGS.

Ok, so Love, Hugs, Review, and I'll see you all on Monday.


	17. Sacrifice

**Ok, yes I know it's not monday! I just had a lot of stuff going on yesterday! Don't Kill meee! .**

**Hey everyone, welcome to chapter 17 of Ravens and Crows. Today's chapter includes, but is not limited to: Molesting, Violent Fighting, Cross Dressing, and Yaoi.**

**Tee Hee! Aren't I so bad? If you don't like Yaoi, just skip to the fight scene.**

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><p><strong>Sacrifice<strong>

A cool breeze wafted past my skirt as I stood outside the door to WINGS' Secret Base. I hesitantly pulled it back down, trying to act as calm as possible without blowing my cover. I fingered a strand of hair back over my ear, guiding it towards my neatly created hair bun. I wondered how well this disguise would work, considering the intellect of both Jack and Anthony.

"Guys, what if this doesn't work?" I whispered into my hidden ear communicator.

"_**It will! Just stick to the plan!"** _Crow hissed.

"_**Um, your...panties are showing."**_ Akiza whispered next.

"_Oh crap...why me?"_ I thought, shivering at the thought.

Yes, yes, we all know now. Akiza's not the one in disguise, I am. It all started like this...

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><p>"Akiza, we need a plan to get into WINGS' base without drawing a lot of attention to ourselves." Crow said in a serious tone.<p>

"What if one of us goes in disguise? We could get in through one of the side entrances." I suggested.

"Not you. Anthony would remember you from that escape we made." Well there goes my plan.

"And you?" I asked, looking for another way.

"I've worked with Jack for three years! Plus, I suck at disguising myself." The orange haired teen sighed and leaned over the back of the couch.

I gazed out the window, catching sight of Yusei held prisoner to the ground by several thick chains. He looked so helpless and weak, almost like...and then it hit me. A grin crept over my face as I prodded Crow in the arm.

"What?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

"If we disguised Yusei, would Jack or Anthony know?"

Crow thought the idea over for a moment. "The costume would have to be _really_ well made, you know. But, I think I can disguise the immortal's energy signature long enough to pull the job off."

"Yes! I know just what to do!" I shouted, jumping over the couch and dashing up to my bedroom.

"O-kay then," Crow shrugged.

I came back down holding a pink dress with short sleeves and a pair of high heeled shoes. Crow did a double take at the items and gave me a 'WTF?' look. A smirk of knowing soon appeared on his face and he motioned for me to follow. The two of us calmly approached Yusei, who was still tethered to the ground by his bindings. I stood behind Yusei so he wouldn't see, while Crow made a direct approach.

"Ok Yusei, you have two choices. One: Stay here and rot in your chains." Yusei scowled, keeping his head bowed to the ground so his eyes were covered. "Or Two: Disguise yourself and help Akiza and I sneak into the castle."

"You know what I want Crow." Yusei said flatly, refusing to meet Crow's grey eyes.

Crow grinned. "That's the stuff Yus! Now for your disguise..." He snapped his fingers; the chains and magic circles disappearing from view. "Akiza will provide you with that."

Yusei spun around to face me, his face going white, either from shock or remembrance of the earlier events. I took a deep breath and stepped forward to meet his sapphire eyes.

"I'll forgive you if you help us dispose of WINGS, ok?" I asked, offering my hand.

Yusei nodded silently, using my hand to stand up. He offered a slight smile, a sign that forgiveness was creeping back into our friendship. Crow snuck up from behind and gave him a hard slap on the back.

"Did I mention you have to wear a dress?" the orange hair teen snickered.

"I WHAT?" Yusei gasped in surprise.

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><p>Yeah, so here I am, disguised as a delivery girl for Domino's Pizza. I shuddered a bit, the cold wind nipping at my legs. How can girls wear things like this? I mean, the dress isn't even covering half of my body. My feet hurt too, the heels were hard to walk straight in. I transferred the pizza box to one hand and scratched at my neck with another. Damn, this thing hurt.<p>

"_Here, I shrunk the energy suppressing collar to choke necklace size." Crow fastened a small necklace made of black ribbon with a silver arrow charm onto my neck._

"_Do I have to wear all this?" I whined, pointing specifically to the makeup, dress, and my hair which was pulled back into a tight bun at the back of my skull._

"_Of course you do. Girls do this sort of stuff all the time." Akiza assured, fixing my hair for the hundredth time._

"_Besides, you'd put cross-dressers to shame," Crow chuckled. I punched him right in the nose for that._

"_**EARTH TO YUSEI. Get out of la-la land and go deliver that bait!"**_Crow barked.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, caring more about changing out of these clothes.

I half walked, half stumbled my way towards the back door of WINGS' Secret base. There was a single steel door that opened from the inside. I knocked politely, expecting no answer. However, Jack happened to be passing by that door as it knocked and decided to go see who in their right minds would come to disturb them.

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><p>Jack POV<p>

Imagine Jack's surprise when he opened the door to find the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen.

Standing on the back doorstep of entrance 12, was a young teenage girl with short raven hair pulled into a bun, staring at me with her beautiful sapphire eyes. She looked about my age, and was blushing wildly, probably from being so nervous.

"U-Um, did you order a medium pizza from Domino's? I got an order from 3346 Wing Lane, but I got lost. I-I'm sorry if we caused any trouble!" She bowed in respect, her eyes seeming so sad.

Really, I didn't care whether or not she got the address wrong. I. Wanted. Her. Right now. I placed my thumb and finger under her chin and guided her face back up to meet mine. Faint tears had begun to form in her eyes, saddening me even more. I pulled on her back, causing her to drop the box and tumble right into my arms. I hugged the girl close as she went from tense to slightly more relaxed.

"I don't want the food, I want _you_." I whispered into her ear.

She shivered slightly, tensing up a bit more. God, I _really _wanted to throw her against the closest hard surface and do her right then and there. But that would be rude and immoral, not to mention frowned upon by Anthony and Father. Instead, I went for the next best option. I cupped the girl's soft cheek in my hand and lowered my face to hers.

* * *

><p>Yusei POV<p>

Ok, I was totally NOT expecting this. I mean, the door opens to Jack. Atlas. Himself. Couldn't get any worse than that. He was still like I had remembered, tall, blond, and with the same infuriated violet eyes as always. Except that this time, his eyes weren't infuriated, they were lustful. I went through the whole 'wrong address script', and bowed in forgiveness. All the while, trying to keep that stupid girlie blush in check. I swear, it was the dress.

"_Oh shit. Don't tell me that Jack-"_ My fears were confirmed when Jack _pulled_ me into his embrace and whispered into my ear.

"I don't want the food, I want _you_." His breath was hot on my ear. I shivered, feeling creeped out and slightly aroused. Bad Yusei, Bad. You have a princess. Jack killed your best friend. Keep your priorities straight.

Jack's fingers slid gently under my chin, raising my face to meet his. I felt intoxicated, almost breathless by Jack's smothering gaze.

"_Oh God,is he going to-"_

I was right, again. It wasn't cute, or nice, it's not what you think. The moment our lips touched, Jack lost control of himself. He thrust his tongue into my mouth, making me squeak in the most girliest of ways possible. It only served to motivate Jack further, his hands moving dangerously close to my lower half. He rested for a brief moment before grabbing my ass and squeezing it.

"_Ok, that does it!"_ I bit down on his fucking tongue. Hard.

Jack cried in pain and pushed away, sending me flailing onto the hard earth. He cussed a few times, spitting out blood mixed with saliva. I licked my own teeth on impulse, finding them sharpened and coppery from Jack's blood.

"What the hell? You almost bit my tongue off!" Jack unfurled his wings, the pressure of his anger rising every second.

"News flash, Jack. Things aren't always as they seem." I smirked, almost ripping my hair bun out. It stuck back up into it's signature spikes as soon as the rubber bands were removed.

Jack was speechless, merely staring and mumbling gibberish like "I couldn't have...but I'm...he's a..."

"Ha! I always knew you were gay, you just needed the right person to come along!" Crow taunted, dropping from the trees with a very pissed Akiza on his back.

* * *

><p>Akiza POV<p>

I'm freaking pissed right now. How dare Jack! Molesting my boyfriend and sexually assaulting him!Wait...my boyfriend? Do I think of Yusei in that way?

"Akiza! Move!" Crow called, shaking me from my thoughts. I snapped back to reality to see Jack's enraged face closing in on mine.

"_Damn, I can't get away!"_ I thought, frozen to the spot in terror.

Just as Jack pulled back his talon hand for a strike, a black blur dashed in from the right and swept me off my feet. Yusei had come to my rescue once again. Jack reached to strike, but Crow intervened with a massive swirled spear for a weapon.

"If you want to get to the Princess, you'll have to defeat Bora the Spear first." He smirked, unveiling his wings.

"If it's a fight you want, prepare to lose!" Jack bellowed, slashing again.

Yusei steadied me on the ground. "Aki, I need you to remove my collar. It's preventing me from using the immortal's powers." He pointed to the glowing choke chain clasped around his neck.

I bit my lip, remembering what the immortal had done to me before. But I can handle that, right?

"Promise you'll keep it in control." I sighed.

Yusei looked bewildered for a moment, but nodded his head and turned so I could see the small seal on the necklace clasp. I reached up and tapped the seal holding the chain in place. It shattered into tiny shards that faded into darkness. The dark energy surged out of control, shrouding everything in darkness. A low chuckle was heard amidst the unseen battlefield.

"Jack, Anthony, did you really think I would let Kalin's death go unpunished? You both will pay for your insolence!" Yusei growled.

A figure glowed in front of me, his crimson aura shining through the inky darkness. Yusei's for was clearly visible, but when his head turned to face mine, a demon grin was saddled on his face. The once kind and gentle sapphire eyes were covered in a blood red sheen.

"Your orders, Princess?" He hissed.

I was frightened of the tone in which Yusei's hiss had echoed. He sounded possessed, not to mention demonic. "I-Um, Get rid of Jack?"

"A question? Or an Order?" The demon pressed, seeming impatient at the wasted time.

"A-an order?" I guessed.

"Then say it!" Yusei spat, his ominous aura doubling in size.

"I order you to kill Jack!" I shouted. I gave a slight gasp. "No, I didn't mean that!"

"Too late." The demonic Yusei smirked, clearing the field of shadows.

Crow was already severely hurt, several deep gashes running down his arms from Jack's talon attacks. Anthony had already arrived, his metallic wings dripping with blood; Crow's no doubt. Yusei's clothes had changed into his original black riding suit, the stripes glowing and pulsing like a heartbeat. Fangs protruded from his mouth and dark claws dripped with acid green venom, making the ground sizzle with every drop.

"My...God." I covered my mouth to prevent myself from vomiting. The air smelled of rotting meat and stale blood.

"Yusei, if you chose to take us both on at the same time, you will perish." Anthony stated gruffly, unaffected from the transformation or smell.

"Bastard will pay for what he did to me..." Jack muttered, spitting on the ground.

"Bring it," Yusei hissed, extending his claws. "Let's see how capable you are of defeating a demon."

Jack charged first, attempting a frontal assault with his sharp talons. Yusei dodged with extreme speed and dragged his claws down Jack's arm, ripping the flesh and muscle with ease. Blood sprayed as if it was being ejected by a sprinkler, staining everyone within range. Jack crumpled into the ground, clutching the wound and moaning. Crow groaned and motioned for me to come over. I crept silently, watching in horror as Anthony squared off with Yusei. He was armed with twin broad swords formed from his wings against claws dripping in corrosive venom.

"Aki...whatever happens, don't let me fall asleep..." Crow begged, his breathing coming out in ragged breaths. He was twitching all over, his body convulsing in a frightening manor.

"What? Who did this to you?" I asked, tenderly grasping Crow's right hand.

"Yu...sei...he-!" Crow struck an open wound, forcing more blood to flow out. Tears streaked down Crow's face, dripping into the pools of blood around him. "He was trying to kill me. The-the poison will kill anything that falls asleep. As long- as long as I can stay awake for- for three-three whole hours, the poison will loose all effect." Crow gasped, attempting to grasp composure.

"I won't let you sleep Crow." I whispered, tears welling in my eyes. "I promise."

"I know you won't," Crow smiled weakly, grasping his open wound once again.

Anthony let out a vicious cry of pain, alerting me to the ongoing battle. Yusei's left claw was holing both swords, while the right one clenched Anthony's gut area.

"Don't..." I whispered, but my efforts were futile.

Yusei grinned wickedly and tore, something, violently out of Anthony's gut. It spewed oil and metal bolts everywhere, shrapnel of metal spinning out of control. Anthony had no organic body, he was merely a human machine with a covering of skin. Anthony screamed in pain, his wings emitting a shrill shriek that caused my ears to bleed in only seconds. I grasped my head, trying to repel the awful vibrations of pain.

"Shut the fuck up." Yusei cussed, tossing the swords to the ground. He embedded his claws into Anthony's wings and wrenched them down until they broke halfway from his back, letting loose another wave of oil.

"Yusei...think about this. You're no better than Jack if you kill us..." Anthony begged, oil leaking from every inch of his body. "And, Akiza needs you..."

Yusei's eyes snapped back to their sapphire brilliance, allowing him to remove his claws. Anthony sagged forward, the joints in his knees grinding to a halt. Yusei hugged onto him, clenching his teeth and trying not to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Anthony. I was stupid to allow that demon control of my body once again." Yusei sobbed, still holding back tears.

"No...it's not your fault. I was created for a single purpose, to obey Godwin and his commands. A mixture of man and machine, devoid of emotions. I cannot feel as you do, neither did Sherry." Anthony explained, trying to move his arms to hug back. He couldn't move at all, his joints had started to rust without oil.

"Sherry-?" Yusei asked in confusion.

"She was the second to be created. A perfection of me, an immortal containing human organs. She had no concept of true feeling, her love for you was all an illusion." His voice was slowing down, a sign of system failure.

"Don't leave us, Anthony! We can still-"

"It's too late for me. Jack, join with Yusei and the others, for the sake of a dying man's wish. Stop Godwin...Yusei...I'm...c-counting...on...you...you..." Anthony's eyes slowly went blank as he existed in this world for the last time ever.

Yusei dropped to his knees, laying Anthony's body on the oil soaked earth and lowering his eyelids. For the first time in my life, I watched a man shed tears. Yusei sat there, sobbing over Anthony's body as the sun shined from the sky above.

"It's ironic, don't you think? That they sky would be so happy at a time like this?" Crow inquired, gazing st the skies above.

"Are you feeling better?" I checked him over once more, making sure Crow wouldn't fall asleep.

"Yeah, but Yusei's the one who needs help right now." He said in a dark tone, narrowing his steel grey eyes on the crying figure in front of us.

I looked from Crow to Yusei to Anthony. To think he hadn't really existed at all...I got up and walked over to Yusei's side, kneeling back down again on the damp earth around Anthony's body. I place my hand lightly on his shoulder, but Yusei felt it anyway and wiped his tears away.

"Why did he have to go?" Yusei asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"It was a sacrifice." Jack grunted, finally coming to. He sat up, still grasping his wounded arm as blood stained his snow white coat. "Anthony knew that to reach your heart, a life had to be given. That's the blood balance for a demonic soul."

"We have another reason to fight back." I reasoned, earning a happier face from Yusei.

He nodded, laying Anthony's body down on the damp earth gently. Yusei stood up and faced Jack who was trying to glare, but only managing to make it into a pout.

"Will you help us Jack?"

The blond scoffed. "I'm only doing it because it was Anthony's dying wish. Not that I want to help or anything..."

We all glared for a few seconds, but returned to the pressing matter at hand. Yusei clenched his fist and pounded it lightly against his chest. Crow copied, using his good arm as Jack clenched his talons together. I did the same, though, with a confused look on my face.

"Together, we create this bond. A bond between our lives that we pledge to commit to." Yusei began what seemed to be a prepared speech. "As long as we continue to fight, we can never be broken! Harrah!" Yusei pumped his fist to the sky.

"Harrah!" Crow cawed with wild spirit.

"Harrah." Jack said somberly, but with a loud echo in his voice.

"Harrah?" I squeaked, raising my fist. This could take some getting used to...

* * *

><p>I know it's strange! Sorry if the ending seems rushed .' !<p>

I put the POV things in there cause it got confusing a bit...

Review PLZ!


	18. And Yet, Here We Are

**Geeze guys, this thing kept me up for hours...Not that I'm complaining.**

**Oh and for the odd dialogue, stick in Google translator...**

**Unless you speak and/or read Welsh, which I am assuming 99% of you don't.**

* * *

><p><strong>And Yet, Here We Are<strong>

"We've got three things to remember here. One, Never, EVER, split up." Crow began drilling out the rules. "Two, If anything goes wrong, we meet at Hangar 5 on the Western side of WINGS' Headquarters."

"Uh, Crow-?"

"Finally, Don't die. Anyone have any questions?"

Jack, Yusei, and I all raised our hands. Crow shook his head with a sigh. "Jack-?"

"Are you more of an idiot than I thought? That's hardly a plan, much less guidelines!" The blond growled, raising his fist in anger.

Yusei merged into the conversation, "I agree with Jack. Unfortunately, your "plan" has several vital problems."

"Enlighten me." Crow groaned.

"First, Hangar 5 is the HEAVILLY GUARDED hangar, remember? Second, we have absolutely no idea of Godwin's whereabouts and therefore, we would wander around for hours while hundreds of guards attacked us at every wrong turn." Yusei kept his voice strict, like a professor explaining a lecture, "Third, Akiza doesn't have a lot of combat experience, meaning engaging in battle would be suicidal."

Crow's jaw dropped low to the ground as he stared at Yusei with disbelief. Even Jack seemed somewhat surprised, although the expression was quickly covered by his original mask of an over-sized ego.

"Okayyy, and that leaves us where?" The carrot haired teen asked, confusion written on his face.

"I think...It means we need to sneak into the base as a whole, stop Godwin, and get out before we get killed?" I said softly, counting Yusei's main points on my fingers.

Yusei nodded, smiling slightly.

Jack smirked at Crow, "Ha. Even a girl who hasn't worked for WINGS can figure out a better plan than you."

Crow growled in a threatening way before shouting out, "Beth mae'r uffern? Peidiwch â gennych chi unrhyw syniad pwy rydych yn cyboli gyda?"

"Shut i fyny, yr ymennydd adar, dim ond y gwir." Was Jack's halfhearted reply as he waved Crow off with his hand.

"Gwrando, os nad yw'r ddau ohonoch yn rhoi'r gorau i weithredu fel plant, BYDD wyf yn gadael i chi y ddau ôl pan fyddwn yn ymosod ar y gwaelod. Got hyn?" Yusei sighed, grabbing Jack and crow by their elbows and tossing them into the air as if they were pebbles.

The pair landed with a harsh thud, denting the ground slightly. Jack was the first to rise, cradling what seemed to be a broken jaw. Crow did the same, only slightly slower and supporting his lower arm instead. Two flashes of light, one tan, the other black, blinded my eyesight for a few seconds. I blinked rapidly, clearing my vision.

"We get it. Don't be so harsh!" Crow whined, testing his arm for normal functions.

"What he said." Jack tested his jaw as well.

I stared, utterly confused, at all three of them.

"What the heck was that? What were you guys even saying? Why does everyone keep leaving me out?" I questioned, leaning throughly on Yusei for answers.

He simply smiled and shook his head, reaching his gloved hand out to ruffle my hair.

"Relax, Aki. It was nothing."

I pouted, shooeing his hand away and trying in dsperation to fix my messed up hair. Yusei laughed brightly, his voice ringing clear as day. I looked at him in amazement. This sensation...it was so familiar...

* * *

><p><em>That day...when I was only 5...I met with Yusei everyday at the playground...<em>

_Five yar old akiza was glaring as hard as she could at the taller boy in front of her. Yusei was 7 at the time. She was wearing her favorite pink playdress, while he had a dark blue shirt and shorts on. _

"_What's so funny?"_

"_You asked me the same thing yesterday! You sound like a broken record!"_

"_You're mean!"_

"_Aw, I didn't mean it..."_

"_I hate you, Yusei!"_

_I tried to run from him, tears leaking out of my eyes as I ran across the playground. He kept calling my name, but I only ran farther and farther. It wasn't long until I was totally lost in the forest, trees surrounding me on every side._

"_H-hello-?" I asked to no one in particular._

_Something moved in the bush behind me, snapping a branch. I cried in fear and backed up into the nearest tree. The bushes and trees all seemed to be reaching down to grab me, to drag me away to a horrid place._

"_Go away!"_

_I slid down the rough trunk of the tree and curled into a tiny ball, crying into my knees. I shook, fearful for my very life._

"_Aki? Are you ok?" A kid's voice asked._

_I lifted my head in mere seconds, shocked to find Yusei looking down with concern._

"_Why are you crying? Did you get hurt?" Yusei asked, holding out his hand._

_I ignored it, throwing myself at him, crying more then I ever had before. Yusei looked surprised, but wrapped his arms around me in a hug._

"_Y-You, you scared me! I was worried the monsters would eat me!" I sobbed._

"_Then I'll protect you from the scary monsters." He said._

_I pulled back, wiping away my tears. I stared at Yusei with fierce determination once again._

"_Promise!" I demanded, holding out my pinky._

"_Ok. I promise." Yusei locked his pinky with mine and shook it. "Real cute, Aki." He giggled, ruffling my hair._

"_Hey!" I pouted, shooeing away his hand._

_That was the first time I had ever met Yusei. I had forgotten all about that..._

* * *

><p>"Aki? Are you ok?" Yusei's actual voice shook me into reality.<p>

"Huh?"

"You spaced out there for a while. Are you feeling well?" He bit down on the fabric of his glove, placing a bare hand against my forehead.

I shuddered, his hand feeling cool against my skin. I quickly shook it off.

"I'm fine." I stated bluntly, turning my head in defiance.

Yusei shrugged, although his gaze lingered for a few moments. A combination of curious, worry, and...was that guilt? What did he have to feel guitly about?

"Shouldn't we get to the base and find Godwin already?" I spat in bitter annoyance.

"God, Akiza. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Crow snorted.

Enraged, I summoned my inner energy to my fist, pulling back behind my side. I released the punch, socking Crow square in the jaw with enough force to stop a speeding truck. Blood and a few teeth spurted from the carrot haired teen's mouth, splattering on the ground. Crow shouted a pained cry and covered his mouth with a single hand. Jack laughed at Crow, his Australian accent clear with his annoying laugh.

"The girl's got some kick, doesn't she?"

Yusei rubbed his temples in frustration. "Crow, fix your mouth. We're getting to Godwin even if it's the last thing we do."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Joe."<p>

"What?"

"Do you hear something?"

"Like what?"

"How about your impending DOOM?" I whispered, dropping from the ventilation shaft above. Before either man could move, I slammed Magnum Rose's hilt over the one guy's head, knocking him unconscious.

"You!" The other guard, "Joe", pointed a deadly looking gun at my head.

"Halla!" Crow interrupted, dropping from the other opening and landing square on Joe. Well, more like _sitting_ on him, really.

"Nice, Crow. Using your ass for once instead of sitting on it." I said sarcasticly.

Crow mumbled something in Welsh again. Yusei explained how Crow, Jack, Kalin, and himself had learned it, just in case they were captured and required a secret plan to be shouted.

"Yusei. We're in front of the elevator door, do you copy?" Crow called in on an intercom piece over his ear.

Slight static was hear on both of our receivers before Yusei answered in, "Loud and clear. We're hacking the main control for the elevator right now. It should be opened for you...now!"

True to his word, the elevator door opened with a ding behind us. Crow ushered me in first, tearing apart the outer control panel with one of his claws.

"What did you do that for?" I asked as we descended in the metal box.

"So they can't call us back to that floor."

"What about the other floors?"

The carrot haired teen grinned, "That's where Yusei and Jack come in. Yusei's a computer expert, considering he was given part of Anthony's mechanical intelligence. He can hack the whole system and set off a virus from the inside."

"So essentially, we're setting the base up for disaster?" I asked.

Crow nodded. The elevator opened at a lower floor with a pissed looking Jack, but a calm Yusei.

"Someone care to explain?" I nudged Crow.

"Damn guards keep coming for us. I had to protect the Nerd's ass or this would be for nothing." Jack rolled his eyes, pushing me aside slightly.

I glared at the grouchy blond. Yusei pressed a few buttons on the control panel he was grasping, retching the elevator up with intense speed. All four of us dropped to our knees, resisting the force that threatened to push us through the elevator floor.

"Yusei! That's too fast! We'll break through the ceiling at this rate!" Jack snapped.

"I'm trying! I think Godwin just hacked out hack." Yusei was working furiously with a keyboard and odd passwords.

"Is that even possible?" Crow screeched.

I crouched close to the floor, gripping Magnum Rose tightly in my hands so hard, my knuckles became white.

_You wish to save them...don't you? _Magnum Rose spoke once again.

"_No duh! What do I do?"_

_Release the second gate..._

"_How?" _I cried, angered with the sword and it's repetitious speeches.

_Work the energy inside of you. If you can envision what you wish for, the energy inside of you will work to create your wish._

"_What kind of energy can do that?"_

_...Energy that is not of this world._

I froze in my spot. So this means...I'm not from this world? Of is that my energy is from another world?

"_Does it even matter? You need to think about the task at hand!"_ A familiar boy's voice screeched.

"Leo?" I said aloud, not caring about the others' opinions.

"_Yeah. Now think about the elevator slowing down and stopping on Godwin's floor!"_

"I can do that? But I don't know the floor!" I cried, sinking a bit lower to the floor with the force of gravity against my body.

"_Well, the energy knows. Don't ask me how. It just does."_

"Alright." By now I had learned to stop quesioning the totally random and no-sense-whatever logic of my magical weapons and mind spirits...God help us all.

I focused my mind solely on the situation and all its details. I envisioned the elevator slowing down, the others being able to stand up, and the metal death trap we crouched in to stop in Godwin's floor. As if on command, I felt a peculiar power flow through my veins. Strong as the cosmos, yet gentle as a mother's hand, the source began it's work fabricating my wish. The elevator began to slow, allowing Yusei, Jack, and Crow to stand once again.

"What the hell? Yusei are you-?"

The raven haired teen shook his head, already aware of Crow's question.

"What about Akiza?" Jack brought everyone's attention to me.

I blushed slightly, but focused most of my attention towards Godwin's mysterious floor. Sure enough, the elevator stopped and opened it's metal door with a pathetic ding. Our team scrambled out in a flurry, the thought of death nipping at our heels.

"Thank God! I'm glad you were able to do...whatever it is you did, Akiza." Crow said with immense gratitude.

"No...problem?" I shrugged.

Before us loomed a set of thick steel doors, locked down heavily. Yusei and the others tensed up at the sight, but also at something greater. Through the second gate's opening, I was able to see immense waves of negative energy emitting from the room before us.

"So it's a Lowly Crow, an Eagle with an Ego, a Medium with Magnum Rose, and a Demon Immortal." Yusei shook his head in disdain. "How the hell did we get such an odd group?"

"I thought more of us would be dead by now." Crow admitted sheepishly.

"And yet, here we are." Jack said sternly.

"Akiza." Yusei addressed me with my full name. Obviously, he mean business. "If we can't beat Godwin, I want you to use your power and wish yourself away from here."

"W-what? No! I couldn't just leave you guys!" I stammered, grabbing a fistful of Yusei's dark jacket in an attempt to force a point.

Yusei simply shook his head and pried my hand off, kissing it lightly. I felt myself blush once more, and looked away in shame.

"Please, Aki." Yusei begged, his voice soft and filled with pain.

I contemplated my options for a second. One, don't go and probably get myself killed and leave no one capable of stopping Godwin. Or Two, leave if necessary and allow for another chance at taking down Godwin.

"Alright. I'll go only if I have to." I sighed, giving in to Yusei's wish.

He smiled once again, erasing all feelings of guilt I had.

"_Yusei has an amazing smile. No way I'll ever let Godwin kill him. I have to help them win, I have to!"_

* * *

><p>Weird way to end a chapter, I know.<p>

So, how would you describe the "team"? Leave your answer in a comment!

Okay, it's like 1 AM and I have school...so it's time to sleep.

G'night everyone, and Sweet Dreams...

z.z

_Review please! Shhh..._


	19. A World of What If's

I'm Back! Thanksgiving has 'given' me the chance to catch up in my writing!

This is actually the second to last chapter in my story D: Sorry.

I want to thank all those who have stayed strong to my horrible update consistancy. Enjoy!

_**"T**__**his"**_Means Akiza's memories

_"This"_ is just Akiza's thoughts

* * *

**A World of What If's?**

The thickly embedded locks on Goodwin's door seemed almost impassible to me. Magnum Rose couldn't slash through it, and Jack or Crow's talons were most certainly too small to tear an opening.

"_What I wouldn't give to have Leo and Luna's Spirit Keys. Then we could pass through the door."_ I thought miserably.

"Everyone stand back." Yusei ordered, separating the three of us to different sides.

Crow stood isolated against the left wall, while Jack and I leaned against the right side. Yusei engaged in a ninja-like fighting stance, with one hand held forward, slightly bent and his hand at a forty-five degree angle. His other arm was tucked behind his back, out of the way.

"Jack, what's Yusei doing?" I asked, tugging on the blond's coat.

"Breaking down that door. Why?" Jack countered, staring down quite strangely at me.

"He can do that?" I cried in surprise. "But, none of our weapons are strong enough..."

"That's why Yusei is different. Without him, our whole operation wouldn't be possible." Jack explained, staring into space, as if recalling a distant memory.

I narrowed my attention to Yusei. He was the Demon Bird Immortal, the greatest enemy, and the most valiant friend of all. He could connect people's hearts, yet tear lives to shreds with his unspeakable power. I feared that man, yet loved him for everything he had given to me.

Yusei chanted a spell in foreign tongue, one that sent shivers down my spine with each ravenous curse uttered. He shifted the arm poised in front over his shoulders. Enormous masses of dark energy swirled around Yusei's hand, whispering, laughing, crying out as if they were tortured souls of Hell. With one swift motion, Yusei whipped the energy mass directly at the bolted door, striking it dead-on. A fierce, untamed wind thrashed against our bodies, causing everyone but Yusei to cringe in pain.

When I glanced back at the door, it was little more than a heap of steaming rubble. The mass of dark energy melted the door into a puddle of bubbling steel before evaporating into thin air. I stood frozen beside the wall for a few moments.

"_Yusei just blasted the door with enough force to melt solid steel...that's amazing."_ I thought in awe.

"Akiza, are you ready to face Godwin?" Jack interrupted, pulling my conscious back to the real world.

"I believe so..."

"We won't force you to come. After all, you matter the most to us." Crow added with a smile.

"Do you believe you have the strength?" Yusei stared me straight in the eye with a look of determination on his face.

I pondered my situation for a moment. Did I really have the strength to face Godwin and whatever danger he may bring?

"_I should at least try..."_ I thought.

"I'm ready for this. Bring it on!" I shouted triumphantly, forming a fist in fierce determination.

I looked deep into the sapphire depths of Yusei's eyes, challenging him to face my decision in a battle of wits. The two of us stood at even strengths for a few moments, an internal conflict between two souls ripping through various defenses, unseen to the human eyes. Yusei smiled softly, making a small 'hmph' noise as he closed his eyes in defeat.

"Good. I'm glad." He said, directing his attention back to the open entry way.

The rest of us followed, preparing for the battle that might lie ahead. Jack transformed his hands into talons, Crow summoned 'Bora the Spear' once again, and I called out to my sword.

"Come forth, Magnum Rose!" I called, thrusting my hand forward. Rose petals swirled thickly into the shape of a sword, gleaming for a moment, then vanishing. In their wake, an elegant sword with a silver rose hilt and magenta grip floated for a brief second. I grasped the handle, angling the sword over my shoulder, then swiping it towards the floor.

Yusei grinned, dark energy encircling his body, but in a controlled manner.

"Let's move." The raven-haired teen commanded.

We rushed through the doorway, entering into Godwin's office. A white-haired man sat, his elbows placed on a desk with his gloved hands folded together. His eyes were closed, as if he were thinking deeply, making no movement as our group entered. He wore a suit of light gray, hair pulled back behind his head, and before him rested four manila folders.

Yusei took head position, Jack and Crow following up as his wing men. I stood behind Yusei in ready, knowing that the trio wouldn't be able to fight efficiently if I lagged like a lame horse. Godwin tilted his had up and stared forward with eyes the color of cold steel.

"Well, If it isn't the traitors of WINGS. So nice to see you all again." Godwin stated, his voice on a level and calm tone. Despite that fact, it still sent a shiver down my spine. Godwin was _too_ calm.

"Enough of your games Godwin. We're here to settle our score." Crow growled, pointing Bora at the man,

Godwin chuckled darkly. "I see. However, If I remember correctly, one of you is not from here. Akiza, is it not?"

I froze. Godwin knew my name? But how? I inhaled, preparing to speak, but Yusei cut me off.

"Leave her out of this, Godwin. The fight is between the three of us." He growled.

"Oh? Is that so? This girl is your little 'pet' then?" The elder male smirked, rising from his seat.

"Shut up! Akiza is a respectable lady. I would never use her in that way!" The raven-haired teen growled, clenching his fists tightly.

"How is it that you know me?" I demanded, shouting from behind Yusei.

Godwin smiled calmly, unaffected by Yusei or the others. "You see, my dear, I have been observing you for the past months, watching and noting events in your life. You suffer from loneliness, lack of self-confidence, and the ability to 'fit in' with society."

I stared at the elder, appalled by his statements. "What is wrong with you? That's insane! I'm perfectly fine with my life!"

"She doesn't need you to insult her!" Jack hissed, glaring at his father with piercing purple eyes.

"Back off, you old geezer!" Crow chimed.

"I won't let you harass my girlfriend like that!" Yusei slid forward, a claw of dark energy stretched back at its limit. Crow and Jack surrounded Godwin on either side, attacking with Bora the Spear and diamond hard talons.

Godwin was gone in a flash, hovering above their heads with his scythe fully drawn. The weapon was decorated in skulls and bones of deceased enemies. A midnight blade curled outward from a large skull resting upon the edge of the scythe's shaft. The white-haired man brought his food down in an axe kick over Yusei's head, slamming him into the ground. Godwin twirled his scythe in a circle, uppercutting Crow and redirecting Jack's talons into the ground, trapping him there.

"What a waste of a son," Godwin shook his head, pushing his shoe against Jack's cheek, "You could have had everything, yet you chose to go against me and help your pathetic 'friends' instead."

He rammed the end of his scythe into Jack's chest, the cracking of ribs echoing through the room. Jack screamed in pain, almost half screeching as an eagle would.

"Keep the hell away from him!" Crow cried, thrusting his spear at Godwin's back.

Godwin smirked, swinging his scythe around back in a circle. He blocked Bora, sending it spinning out of control across the room and into the floor. With immense precision, Godwin cut straight down Crow's body, piercing his organs and windpipe. Crow began choking on his blood, dropping to the ground, holding his body together.

"Crow! Jack!" I cried, gripping Magnum Rose to strike.

"Akiza..." Yusei groaned, standing up slowly, "Don't act stupid."

"What about you, huh? You don't exactly have a winning strategy either!" I argued, stepping forward.

"_GET BACK!_" A voice not quite human growled. I stumbled back a few steps, feeling it best to obey the orders of the Demon Immortal this time.

"Protecting the girl, Yusei? You were always had a soft spot for them." Godwin chuckled.

He flashed right in front of Yusei, grasping his head with a gloved hand. Electricity flowed from Godwin's hand into Yusei's body, causing him to shake and scream uncontrollably. Tears rolled down the raven-haired teen's face as Godwin upped the kilowatts to a torturous level.

"Stop...stop it..." I mumbled, speechless at the tortured being before my eyes.

Godwin grinned wickedly, grasping Yusei's head with his other hand; the electricity doubling in strength. Yusei's body began convulsing in random patterns, his screams echoing through my core. The noise struck sharp pains through my head. Clenching my hands over my ears, I snapped my eyes shut, attempting to remove myself from this horrid environment.

"Stop it! Let him go!" I cried, whipping my head back and forth violently, "I Said, STOP!"

Godwin frowned, but released Yusei's head. By now, smoke had begun drifting from the teen's body, a blank stare across his face. His body didn't stop convulsing, low moans escaping Yusei's mouth as he struggled to remain standing. Godwin shoved the poor boy to the ground, stomping forward to Akiza.

"What's the matter Akiza? Are you afraid that your poor friends are going to die?" He grasped my chin and pulled my face roughly to his, "Isn't this what you wanted? You said he was an annoying pervert who broke your heart. Are you saying that your words are a lie?"

"T-they are! I-I-I care about Yusei! I care about Crow, Jack, even Anthony!" I sobbed, standing helplessly in Godwin's grasp.

His steel grey eyes starred daggers within my soul. "Then, you want to save them, I presume."

"Yes! With all my heart, I want to save them!" I cried.

"Hush now, You have no worries. I will correct your past for you." Godwin released my chin, but grasped both of my shoulders. "Together, we can prevent this incident from happening."

"Aki...don't..." Yusei moaned, reaching for me with a trembling arm.

I turned my face away, tears still running down in steady streams.

"I'm sorry, Yusei."

I felt a sharp pain in my body, and then...darkness.

* * *

When I awoke, all was silent.

I was once again in my room, although it seemed...different. Gone were my regular dresser and bed, instead I was gifted with a royal queen sized mattress fitted with silken sheets. My room was much more spacious, a rich magenta color with various furniture of black cherry wood. I was awed at the luxurious surroundings around me. I was also wearing a very soft nightgown, cream colored, and falling just below my knees.

"Where am I? Is this...really my house?" I whispered softly, sliding out of bed.

My feet hit ice-cold marble flooring, shivers erupting up and down my body. I spun in a slow circle, trying to take in all my surroundings. A low knock resounded off the door to the bedroom. I froze to the spot as a man with auburn hair, parted over half of his face, entered. He was clothed in a butler's uniform, a small smile gracing his lips. Emerald eyes stared aimlessly in my direction, attempting to focus on something, but not quite bold enough to settle on my figure.

"Miss Akiza, your breakfast is ready. Your mother instructed me to show you down as soon as you were ready." The man said somberly, bowing his head slightly.

"T-thank you, um..."

"Sayer."

"Sayer. Um, I might sound stupid for asking, but could you show me where my clothes are?" I said shyly. I scratched the back of my head, blushing slightly as I looked away from the butler.

"Of course, Miss. If you are having trouble with anything, I will be here to serve you." Sayer replied, placing his right hand over his heart and bowing.

The butler ushered me to a large walk-in closet where hundreds of outfits sat, folded neatly on different shelves. I checked out a uniform similar to the one I wore to school, at least, I believe I did. Sayer left the room so I could change in private. The uniform had a black pleated skirt, magenta blazer, and a white undershirt. It was almost an identical copy, but the skirt was a different color and my shoes were another brand.

Sayer led me through the halls of 'my house' if you could call it that. The thing was practically a hotel, it was so enormous! Not to mention, decorated elegantly in older Victorian style molding and furniture. I continued to pause and take a few seconds to bask in the glory of this house. Sayer waited patiently as I took my time reaching the bottom floor of the house.

Voices of a woman and man floated up from the kitchen. A small memory was brought up in response.

"_**Get off me Crow!"**_

"_**Crow get off of Yusei, this is no time for fighting."**_

"_**Excuse me mom..."**_

Sayer cleared his throat, signaling my attention towards the kitchen.

"_Crow, Yusei, Jack. I miss them all. I hope that they're alright."_ I thought to myself.

I stepped off the landing onto tile flooring, following my line of sight up to my parents sitting at a table. Mother looked like me, her mid-length, magenta hair falling down below her back. Her emerald eyes sparkled with a special quality that only mothers held. Mother had a lighter frame than I did, a pale, rose colored dress covering her body. She smiled brightly.

"Good morning Akiza. Did you sleep well?" My mother asked.

"Yeah, but I had the strangest dream..." I shook my head, "Something about birds and immortals. It was all a blur."

"Well, it's over now." My father said reassuringly.

Father looked different from my mother. First off, his hair was a dark almond color, set in short, shaggy spikes all over his scalp. His eyes were a chocolatey color, the reason why mine matched his. Father had a fairly large build, square shoulders, rounded off by a brown suit and black tie.

"_Yusei, Crow, and J..Jacob? No, that's not right. The tall guy, why can't I remember his name? I swear I knew it a second ago."_ I thought, utterly perplexed at the mystery before me.

"Why don't you have some breakfast, sweet heart? It'll cheer you up." My mother broke my thought with her gentle voice.

"No...thank you. I'll just have a piece of toast." I sighed, cradling my head in a single hand.

"Are you feeling alright, Akiza? You look sick." My father questioned, standing up to feel my forehead.

"No, no I'm fine! I just have to get to school...I think." I reassured him, waving my hand frantically to protect myself from the parental protection assault.

"Right. Well, have a nice day." He said, sitting back down to his newspaper.

"Do you want Sayer to drive you to school today?" Mother asked, holding out a key ring. As if on cue, Sayer stepped forward to accept the keys.

"No thank you, I...I'd rather take the bus."

"As you wish, Miss." Sayer bowed and stepped back.

I grabbed my school satchel from the kitchen counter, exiting out the front door and into a courtyard lined with shrubbery of all shapes and sizes. Turning around, I almost had a heart attack when I saw exactly how massive our house was. It was a mansion. An honest to god mansion with elegant brickwork and everything. Behind me, a driveway covered in smooth, sand colored stones, laid the way like a mini beach to the front entrance. I stood silently on the driveway, a memory slowly bubbling to the top of my mind.

_**The bus I took downtown was already pulling away from the sidewalk. I unlocked the door and rushed outside, only to find it halfway down the street.**_

"_**Damn it. How are we supposed to get to school now?" I sighed.**_

_**Suddenly, I felt myself being lifted off the ground. Yusei was carrying me in his arms and smiling.**_

"_**Hold on tight," He said.**_

A pain shocked my skull, as if a bolt of lightning had connected with my brain. I suppressed a scream of pain and instead went to a violent hiss.

"_Oww! Yusei what were you thinking? If C-c-c-the guy with orange hair saw you, he'd tease you about being a dumb knight rescuing his princess. Why can't I remember the orange-haired kid either? What's going on?"_

I strode along the driveway, utter chaos rioting withing the far corners of my mind. A low rumbling sound alerted my senses once again to my surroundings. The bus was pulling away from the curb, clattering down the street like a lazy steel beast.

"Great. Just Great. How do I get to school now?" I pulled at my scalp, dragging my fingers through my magenta locks. I stared intently into the sky. "Are you going to help me, Yusei?"

I thought back to the vision earlier. It was brief, but I could picture the old oak tree, the courtyard of the school, everything about New Domino High. Wind whipped around my body, a feeling of weightlessness settling like a blanket over my body. I closed my eyes, allowing this 'force' to carry my body into the clutches of a raging whirlwind.

* * *

Minutes later, I was sitting under the old oak of New Domino High. I smiled up at the sky.

"Thank you, Yusei." I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Gathering my belongings, I opened the courtyard door and entered the school. As I busied myself with packing and gathering books, two shadows floated upon my back. In fear, I whirled around to find Misty Tredwell and Carly Carmine giggling in delight.

"Akiza! It's so good to see you again!" Carly cried, wrapping her arms around my neck in a playful hug.

"We thought you were, like, dead or something!" Misty laughed, extracting Carly from my body.

"Heh, Heh. Yeah, nice to see you both." I smiled sheepishly. This didn't seem right at all...

_**The two black haired girls smiled and threw their books onto my back, causing me to exhale sharply. Sherry ground her foot on my head, and even though I tried to find someone to help, they had all gone to class by now.**_

_**"Some-body please…," I begged.**_

_**"No one can hear you!" Sherry said as she kicked my face for the last time.**_

"_-the Hell? Where did that come from?" _I asked myself, pondering the reason.

_**"I thought that after a while, it would finally sink in that you shouldn't be here." Sherry smirked.**_

_**"Leave me alone, Sherry." I mumbled.**_

_**She slammed my locker shut, causing me to jump back in surprise.**_

_**"Well, why don't you just give us what you owe?" she replied, holding out her hand. "20,000 yen. And we want it now."**_

_**"I don't owe you anything!" I protested.**_

_**"Liar!"**_

_**"Thief!"**_

_**Both Carly and Misty were calling me names about the money. I didn't borrow any of it. This was blackmail, and I had no way out. Misty and Carly grabbed my arms and pinned them behind my back. Sherry grinned and rummaged through my pockets until she took out my wallet and all of my yen.**_

_**"Hey! Give...that…back!" I shouted, struggling to break free.**_

_**Carly and Misty only tightened their grip though, and I winced in pain.**_

_**"I told you, we're here to collect the money and we'll get it in any way we need." Sherry mocked with a devilish grin on her face.**_

* * *

"...Akiza? Hey, what's the matter?" Carly shook my shoulder gently.

I shuddered, staring at the two of them with panic ridden eyes.

"S-stay away! Both of you!" I whimpered.

"Akiza, come on, we're your best friends!" Misty pleaded, reaching for my arm.

"No, you're not! Leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you!" I cried, tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. Feeling trapped and alone, I fled from my locker, shoving everyone out of my way.

"Akiza!" Carly and Misty called.

"_Leave me alone, all of you! Why do you insist on following me?"_ I screamed internally, running from the chaos and confusion within the educational walls of New Domino High.

* * *

I panted, my breath lost in the swirling wind. I stood now, alone and lost in the middle of the city. All around me, people talked and shopped, laughing with one another.

"...Ha! I got a Jack of Spades..."

"...the eyes of a beady little crow..."

"...you don't say..."

"_Jack, Crow, Yusei...I-I know those three. The tall guy, the kid with carrot colored hair, and the one with beautiful sapphire eyes..."_

It happened again. This time, it felt like someone had smashed into my head with a sledgehammer. I screamed in pain, crumpling to the ground, clamping my hands over my head.

_**I recognized the voice almost instantly.**_

_**"You! You're the one who…" I began.**_

_**"…Saved you from your death. I already know that," he interrupted; finishing off my sentence...**_

"_**I'm known as Yusei or as the Raven King if you haven't already guessed."**_

_**"You could say that I'm a demigod."**_

"_**...a medium who controls my powers"**_

"_**...Princess."**_

"_**I'll protect you from the scary monsters."**_

"_**Aki..."**_

It hurt, more than I had ever wanted it to. Memories. Yusei and Crow, Jack and Sherry, Anthony and Kalin. It was real. I am Yusei's medium. Kalin, Sherry, and Anthony are dead. Godwin is our real enemy, and if I didn't do something quick, this world would fully consume my being.

I sat up, recovering from my ordeal, but surprised to find that everyone had vanished.

"This universe was never meant to exist. Godwin, you twisted my fears and wishes into a imitative reality, and I will not stand for that!" I cried into the sky.

"Magnum Rose!" I called to my sword.

On cue, rose petals danced around my hand, materializing into my beloved sword. I gripped the handle, clutching the blade possessively.

"My friend, I believe it is time to end the World of What If." I explained, raising the sword straight in front of my body, blade cast down.

"_Yes. I will guide you back to reality"_ It whispered, _"You have changed Akiza. You are filling the role of which you were always meant to play. Embrace the inner self, and transcend the boundaries of time and space!"_

"This ends here! Piercing Petal Strike!" I cried, thrusting the sword deep into the ground.

The earth cracked, splintering into pieces, like fragile glass. Collapsing in on itself, I fell through the ground and into dark depths of my mind. Wind rushed past my face as I allowed my body to slack in my fall. I knew better than to panic in a situation like this.

"You will die, Akiza!"Godwin cursed.

"Not today Godwin." I mumbled, folding my hands together, "Transcend the boundaries of time and space." I whispered softly.

Light enveloped my body, stopping my fall completely. The light ascended through the depths of darkness and evil, whisking me closer to Yusei and the others. As if it were a shooting star, the light became a comet of energy, crashing through the barrier above that once held me captive.

* * *

"Grr...you little witch girl." Godwin cursed, stumbling away from the comet of light.

"You got that right, Godwin. I _am_ a witch." I smirked, raising my blade to the despicable man.

"Look at yourself, Akiza! Don't you think this is ridiculous?" Godwin summoned a mirror shield in front of me.

I didn't think so. Instead of a school uniform, I was now wearing a long, black shirt than rested underneath a magenta jacket with white trim. The shoulder straps were thin, but thickened out until it became more of a short cape than a jacket. Two puffy short sleeves covered my shoulders and just above my elbow. Elegant, fingerless gloves encased my hands, ending in gold band around my forearms, but shorter than the sleeves. I now wore black shorts for easier running and magenta clogs to match my jacket. Two socks were held up to my thighs with gold bands of their own.

I grinned at my reflection. "No, Godwin, I look perfect."

I swiped my hand over the mirror, shattering it into bits. My mark glowed red and full, indicating the immense power boiling inside my body.

"You just fucked with the wrong girl." I smirked, "My name is Aki, The Black Rose Witch."

Godwin backed up a couple feet. "The witch who was sealed away for being so dangerous? Don't tell me that you-"

"I am. The only psychic witch who lived past her family's extinction. I was released when Yusei created this covenant, allowing for my powers to escape from their seal." I drew close to the frightened man.

"I should never have challenged you to a duel..." He muttered.

I chuckled darkly. "Of course not. Yusei was able to find me through your own stupidity." I poised Magnum Rose for lethal strike. "Now, you shall pay for crossing my friends and destroying my life!"

* * *

Erm, yeah. Akiza is a witch. A real one.

The finale will come out on either Saturday or Sunday, I'm not really sure.

It'll be a HUGE chapter so I need time. Also, no comments or notes from me next chapter.

Special Thanks to: Darkness Bandit, RainbowHeart17, RunoandAkizafan, Mewtwomaster58, Yuseixakiza4eva10, Maria Starlight, NtinAki7, fate in the star, Jayy Winn, Midnight Rose, and Dragon C. Chan.

Thanks to everyone else for their positive reviews too!

Lovez, MajStar


	20. Ravens and Crows Finale

**Ravens and Crows: The Finale**

Godwin was frightened of me. Oh yes, that detestable man was now shivering slightly in my presence. What gave him the reason not to?

"Yusei, Awaken. I didn't tell you to sleep on the job." I commanded, my eyes glancing to the corner of the room.

Yusei's body was leaned up against the bookshelf, clutching one of the folders Godwin ad set upon his desk earlier. The raven-haired teen was panting heavily, his head bowed, either in fear or exhaustion. I frowned slightly.

"Come on, Yusei. I thought you were stronger than the old man. Don't tell me you're going to let him kill Jack and Crow, without so much as a struggle." I smirked, staring silent daggers into Godwin's petrified form.

Yusei snapped his head up, eyes shining a dark crimson in the eerie moonlight. I was beginning enrage him, but at this rate, he was still too weak to fight properly.

"Do I have to all the work by myse-" I was cut off as cold metal sliced cleanly through the side of my shirt sleeve and part of my arm.

I grimaced and hopped sideways in flash, almost as if I had teleported myself to the other side of Godwin's office. Godwin had gotten the better of my patience and used his cowardice to wound my left arm. I stood above Crow, with his wounds and mine bleeding in unison. Dropping to my knees, I picked up the teen's body and laid he head in my lap.

"Crow. Listen to me. I want you to drink some of my blood. Understand?" I asked, combing his blood-stained hair softly.

"...A...ki?" He breathed the sound, it was barely a whisper at all.

I reached over top of my wound and squeezed the injury tight, blood flowing down my arm in crimson streams. I dangled my fingertips over Crow's mouth, the blood from my wound dripping into his throat.

"By the power of the Black Roses and all great witches before me, I beckon to you. Grace this child with your healing, Great Spirit of the Rose Dragons!" I called, the power of old magic flowing through my veins.

Upon my hand, the mark of birds changed in response to my powers. It was no longer a circle, but a violet rose over the back of my hand. Ivy tendrils snaked from the base of the flower all the way up my arm, encircling it in crossed lines. The wound upon my arm sewed itself together as the enchanted ribbons of magic wound over it, coming to rest over my shoulder.

Crow began coughing, the same ivy vines had sewed together the rest of his body as well. I watched as the vines that had covered Crow, retreated into the flower mark on my hand. It seemed that the power to heal wounds was limited to those I could touch and to myself.

"Akiza? Is that you?" Crow groaned, his eyes squinting in confusion.

"Feeling better? Hopefully, that wasn't too painful." I said, smiling warmly.

Crow smiled back, but his expression soon paled into that of extreme horror. I felt a cold wind down my spine, the breath of death over my shoulder. Godwin.

"Die, you pestilent witch." The elder man hissed, swing his scythe blade down harshly.

I cringed, expecting for a deadly pain to coarse through my body, but all I felt was another presence beside me.

"Yusei. So, you are feeling alright after all." I grinned, as though all my problems were mere specks of dust.

"You've changed, Princess." The raven-haired teen said through gritted teeth.

With one claw, he was holding back Godwin's deadly scythe blade. His other hand grasped Godwin's wrist, restricting his movement. With a single, push-pull movement, the scythe would imbed itself in my body.

"I guess it's for the better, then." I sighed. Dealing with these pathetic men was so tiring. "Magnum Rose." I called.

In a burst of rose petals, the sword materialized within my hand. Crow still lay still, staring wide-eyed at the scene playing right before his cobalt eyes.

"Aki - what happened to you?" He gasped, scanning my new outfit and mark upon my hand. "Are you still Yusei's medium?"

I froze. Oh, that. I hadn't even thought about that fact. I mean, if I still was, then what kind of control would my new mark carry? And if not? What would happen to Yusei?

"Yusei. Am I your medium, or am I not?" I questioned, supporting Crow into a sitting position.

He grinned in the classic Cheshire manner, chuckling perhaps, at my naivety. He looked back to me, his eyes a glow with crimson want and lust.

"You will be eternally mine, Princess. That, I can swear upon." He said, forcing Godwin back with a mighty shove.

The man stumbled back, bumping into a solid object that penetrated his very core with hatred and disgust. Jack wasn't dead, but someone was about to die real soon.

"You disgusting piece of filth. You don't deserve to be my father." Jack snorted, slugging Godwin in the back.

"Give it up, Godwin. There's four of us and only one of you." Yusei stated calmly, positioning himself between me and the elderly man.

Godwin began chuckling, his laughter growing into howls of great intensity. As his laughter subsided, he looked at our party with false pity.

"Don't think for one second that you have the upper hand, boy." Godwin sneered.

With little effort, Godwin jumped through the windows of his office and out into the sky where he stayed, floating in midair. Instead of a suit, he was now draped in a cape that blended with the midnight sky and simple, more efficient clothes for combat.

I glared at Yusei and the others, my hatred threatening to become physical once again.

"Why didn't anyone tell me he could fly?" I seethed.

Crow chuckled nervously. "Well, we didn't really know..."

"Then how the Hell are we supposed to fight him?" I cried, pulling in frustration on my hair.

"We can. Crow and myself can force him into a better angle for the two of you." Jack stated, gently moving me aside.

"Wha- Where do you think you're going without us?" I growled, trying to grab onto Jack's jacket.

Instead, Yusei gripped both of my wrists and pulled me back, so that I was flush with his chest.

"Yusei! Let go of me!" I cried, squirming around in his grasp.

Instead of complying with my orders, he wrapped his arms and mind around my body and held tight.

"What the heck? What are you, deaf? I said let-"

"Shut up."

"What?"

"You think that just because you have new-found power, you can do whatever the heck you want, don't you?" Yusei hissed, his voice icy and harsh.

"I'm just as g-"

"This isn't about proving your strength, this is about life and death!" Yusei tightened his grip around my body, to the point where it felt as if my innards would be squeezed out.

"Yu-sei, stop! I...can't breathe...!" I coughed, trying to inhale as much air as I possibly could.

"Godwin will kill you Aki. I know this for a fact. He wanted to use you, at first. He believed that you were the tool necessary to retrieve the key to ultimate power. But now, you are the key. This power, this extreme strength is brought on my the manifestation of negative emotions. It's hurting you and your body. You've become a cold, selfish witch who cares for no one but herself."

"_Is that true? I never wanted something like that to happen! But, it's all true. I just realized how emotionless I have become since exiting Godwin's fabricated world. Maybe, maybe this dark power really is a bad thing..."_

I coughed a few times, still trying to struggle away, but it did no good. Yusei had a grip of iron, one that not even I was capable of breaking. I felt my body grow heavy from lack of oxygen. My head hurt, by body hurt, but most of all, my feeling were hurt the worst. I needed one last sentence, one more chance to make a small amend.

"Yu-sei...stop it, please! I will change...but you must trust me on this one." I gasped, smiling, though lack of oxygen was killing my head.

Yusei let go of me, and I stumbled forward, leaning against the broken desk for support. Meanwhile, Yusei had already approached the crumbling edge of the building where Godwin had escaped through. Clashing sounds of metal echoed as Crow and Jack fought Godwin with hatred and fierce tenacity. Yusei stared into the sky, a light breeze blowing a few wispy strands of raven hair from his face.

"What now? Are you going to join them?" I asked, standing behind the demon before me.

"I have to. I can't loose another one of my friends-" He shook his head, "No, my _family_ to Godwin and his scheme."

I smiled kindly. All of us had grown so close in what little time was spared between travel and battles.

"I won't stop you, but that doesn't mean I don't want to help. If there's something I can do for you, please, tell me." I begged in a soft, whisper of a voice.

Yusei cupped my face lightly in his hands as he stroked my hair gently. I felt so relaxed in his presence, as if all my burdens had vanished to a far off space.

"You can empower me. That's all I ask of you." Yusei said. He leaned in, capturing my lips in a gentle, but passionate kiss.

I melted under his touch, the very scent of mint enhancing Yusei's taste. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling our bodies flush with each other. In my mind, this moment lasted forever, but as we all know, nothing is sacred. Yusei broke the lip-lock, both of us a bit flustered from lack of air. He smiled, a kind and caring smile, one that I had wished others could show to me.

"Promise me you won't die." I whispered, letting go of the teen's neck.

"You can trust me. I won't let anyone die." Yusei lifted my left hand and kissed it gently.

The rose mark glowed for a second, before shattering into pieces of light that disintegrated into the wind. Replacing it, was my old mark, glowing its proud crimson color once again.

"I'm fixed. You'll always come back to me, Understand?" I said, in a firm voice.

"Ordering me now, Princess? How very nice of you." Yusei muttered sarcasticly.

"Oh, shut up." I playfully punched his arm.

He chuckled, looking back behind us to the battleground before us. With a smirk, he jumped from the ledge, dropping down several feet. He landed gracefully onto the rooftop of a building, the air around him hissing from its immense tension. Yusei wasted no time, jumping from one building to the next, in order to reach Godwin and the others.

As Jack and Crow encircled Godwin, they took turns attacking the shadowy figure. Crow dived in first, spiraling Bora at Godwin's chest. With a smirk, the man blocked the lethal blow with his scythe blade. Metal clashed against each other, echoing through the skies above. Jack approached the opportunity to draw back his talons, aiming again for the cloaked figure. Just as easily, Godwin vanished into the shadows, causing Jack and Crow to clash with each other.

"Watch it, you two. This isn't a battle you can shrug off. It's life or death here." Yusei warned, steadying Jack and Crow.

"Want to test the hands of Fate then?" Crow grinned, wiping a smudge of blood off his face.

Jack rolled his eyes. "You were always the strange one."

Yusei smirked, dark energy gathering in masses around his fists.

_**Go. This is your destiny.**_

As if on instinct, the three teens zeroed in on Godwin, putting forth their more superior weapons and skills. Crow was the first to reach the target. He pulled fort a dangerous gun-blade, aiming it straight for Godwin's gut. The elder attempted to defend, but Jack shot two energy orbs, blinding him temporarily. The blade embedded itself in Godwin's abdomen, making a sickening squelch and drawing blood.

Crow chuckled. "Take this you fucked up old man."

He pulled the gun's trigger, releasing several shots through Godwin's body. The bullets travel through the soft flesh and organs, inflicting severe damage. However, Godwin grabs hold of Crow in close range and drains the life force right out of his body. The orange-haired teen, screamed in pain for a second, but color drained from his face, his voice fading into oblivion.

"Crow!" Jack and Yusei cried simultaneously, reaching for their teammate.

"Pathetic human." Godwin spat, dropping the boy with no care at all.

"Oh no you don't!" Jack growled, tucking in his wings as he dived down, intent on catching Crow.

Godwin smirked, twirling his scythe in a circle that created a forceful whirlwind. Jack was thrown off course, his wings unveiling in the merciless blades of wind.

"I-won't let you separate us!" The blond teen regained his control against Godwin's attack. He grasped Crow's arms, pulling the smaller boy against his own body for protection against the wind and the fall.

Yusei's eyes widened, mortified at the scene. Jack was falling vertically with Crow, meaning he couldn't pull up into the sky again without...

"Jack!" Yusei called. He stretched over the edge of a building, reaching for the older male as the two fell from the sky. His fingertips brushed Jack's arm, freezing the vital moment. Yusei saw, within Jack's eyes, the pain of losing his friends and the acceptance of sacrifice for another.

The pair plummeted to the earth below, making a solid impact into the concrete. Jack's head snapped against the stone, knocking him unconscious as Crow fell from his teammate's grasp. Silence filled the arena. Not a single person moved or breathed for several moments. Everything came to a standstill.

* * *

><p>"Jack! Crow!" I cried, reaching subconsciously for the two, though I was farther away than Yusei.<p>

I collapsed onto the floor below me, clenching my hands tightly into fists. Tears stung my eyes, dripping down my face and onto the backs of my hands.

"_No. No, Goddammit! They can't be dead! J-Jack and Crow..."_ I shook my head, refusing to believe what I had just witnessed.

"You can't die now! You said that you'd all stop Godwin no matter what!" I screamed, channeling my anger against that atrocious man. "Don't leave me!"

The mark on my left hand reacted violently, glowing a fiery red, pulsing with the surges of emotion and energy. As if by magic, rose petals began sprouting from my back, stretching out smoothly and elegantly into wings. The petals were the size of a human hand, sturdy, but flexible and light weight. I tested the two out, flapping each one separately, then the two together for a slight lift off the floor. I dropped back down, steadying myself on solid ground. Something clicked in my mind, as if my instincts had been reset to that of a bird's.

With a single, forceful flap, I took to the skies in a dazzle of rose petals that floated out from my wings.

Yusei stared, awestruck in wonder, at the miraculous extent of my powers.

I landed gracefully beside my partner, still in a daze, so I smiled happily.

"What? You were expecting the Psychic Witch to stand by while you fought?" Yusei relaxed a bit, pulling his face back to calm.

"No, but I never thought you were _this_ powerful. You used your emotions to break the chains of gravity."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, ha ha. I learned how to fly. Can't you say it normally?"

"I could do that. Or, the two of us could kick the crap out of Godwin before beating him to a bloody pulp." Yusei grinned, a maleficent smile that shook my very core.

I quickly dismissed the feeling. "Sounds like a plan then."

Yusei nodded. I flapped my wings for a bit of lift before latching onto Yusei's well-toned torso. I blushed slightly at our closeness, but felt myself converting those feelings of embarrassment into the

courage to protect. Yusei was _my_ demon, _my_ boyfriend, and nothing could ever change that.

I flapped my wings rapidly, generating enough speed for a charge, which I unleashed onto Godwin. He dodged left, just missing my wing tips and leaving him wide open for an assault. I released Yusei, who shot down like a rocket, slamming his feet into Godwin. As Yusei pushed away, the energy around his feet sent the elder man flying backwards into a building. I swooped down behind Yusei and took hold of him, returning the two of us to the top of a building.

The grey-haired man grunted in pain, prying himself from the building he was currently imprinted within.

"You brats..."

Godwin took to the air, swinging his scythe in all directions. With every swing, a wave of violet energy manifested from the blade, heading straight for the two of us. Taking no mind, I folded my wings in front of Yusei, blocking all the attacks, but seriously wounding myself.

"..tch..." I grimaced in pain, opening my winged shield.

Yusei turned to face me. "Aki, kiss me."

"What? We're in battle!"

"Just trust me!" He assured, grasping my hands tightly.

I sighed. "Okay, but this is seriously weird..."

I leaned forward, pressing my lips gently to Yusei's. A spark was set off between our two powers, causing them to exchange different properties with each other. My wings began healing themselves at a rapid pace, a quality that Yusei had passed onto me. We broke after only a few seconds, but I knew that the man before me had acquired a new power.

"Godwin, I'd like you to meet my new friend." He grinned wickedly, "Serve me! Dusk Blade!" Yusei called to the earth.

Shadows of all shapes and sizes gathered in a line before the raven-haired boy, whispering noises escaping from their conjoined form. He grasped the shadow line in his right hand, the darkness disappearing, leaving a blade of black metal behind. I stared at the weapon Yusei now held. A katana, the hilt in the shape of raven talons, none the less. It was mysterious and elegant, absorbing all darkness that seemed to crowd around it, purifying the air.

Yusei took off with inhuman speed, his katana raised high over his left shoulder. He traded blows with Godwin, metal crashing against metal, their cries echoing across the skyline of New Domino. I decided to join in, taking to the skies as Yusei swung at the man again and again. When Yusei somersaulted backwards to regain his altitude against the rooftops, I shot Godwin with energy beams, damaging his back. Temporarily paralyzed, Yusei was able to advance on the unprepared man and slash deeply into his right shoulder.

Godwin hollered in pain, his arm pretty much severed from his own body.

"You...bastard...I'll kill you for this!" The shinigami cursed, as he breathed out hot clouds of ash.

Within seconds, the entire city of New Domino was covered in a cloud of poisonous, ashen cloud. It was suffocating-the heat, the pressure of the clouds, the ash filling my lungs. I choked and coughed over and over again, trying desperately to inhale a breath of clean air. A figure coughed beside me, bent over on hands and knees in the clouds.

"Yu-sei? We-we have to get...get out of here..." I coughed violently, my chest tightening with every strained breath.

"C-can't...no where to..." Yusei panted, collapsing in the heat.

"_I've got to do something! Think Akiza, think! Ugh. What would Magnum Rose suggest? Wait a second...Magnum Rose...Black Rose Dragon...I got it!" _I suddenly realized, feeling confident in my abilities.

"Black Rose Dragon! Absorb the ashes!" I called, coughing harshly the moment after.

On command, the ash clouds began swirling, becoming a whirlwind of dark matter that funneled into my wings, staining them black. I was toppled over to the ground, my wings weighed down from all the foreign containment within them. I cried in pain, he pollution feeling horrid inside my own body. As if I were a plant, the ashes circulated within me, causing extreme agony within my blood. In response to my pain, Black Rose Dragon changed the ashes into something less dangerous.

Darkness.

It swamped the battleground, filling every crevice, peeping into nooks and crannies left untouched by human hands. Godwin disappeared within the thick clouds, as did Yusei and all other buildings around me.

"Ha! You think that this works to your advantage? Well, I am the only one who can see through the darkness at this level. You are powerless to find me!" Godwin laughed, his deep voice echoing around me.

I stumbled forward, taking small steps and groping with my hands around the inky darkness. My foot tapped something hard, and upon bending down to inspect the object, I found myself touching a leg.

"Yusei? Please tell me that's you." I trailed my hand up the man's side, praying I wasn't falling into a trap. Yet, when I reached his head, soft spikes tickled my fingers and a feeling of relief washed across my body.

"Oh, thank god. I thought you might have died." I cried, moving forward to wrap my arms around Yusei.

"Easy there, Aki. I'm here, but Godwin is too." He coaxed, petting the top of my head.

"How on earth do we find him, then? It's too dark to see even a foot in front of our faces!"

"We need some kind of light, something bright enough to fight in." Yusei said, his voice fading as he began thinking.

A cackle behind us froze my body in place. Godwin had found us.

"Don't think you two can hide from me. I can see through the darkness as if it were the air itself!" Pounding footsteps came closer and closer until...

Metal clashed against metal as Yusei drew his sword against the darkness. The raven-haired teen was practically fighting blind, relying on his keen hearing and sense of danger to dodge Godwin's lethal attacks. Even with this, Yusei was taking a lot of hits, slowing down with every injury received.

"_Shit! If I don't do something, Yusei and I will both die. What to do..."_ I decided to call uopn my old friend for advice.

"Magnum Rose." I whispered, the sword materializing in my hand.

_...Yes, Aki?_

"I need to know. Is there any light bright enough to clear the darkness?" I asked.

_...Not that I know of. However, it is said that the soul shines brightest in times of peril._

"So, your soul will become strongest in times of danger? That doesn't help if I can't see two inches from my face."

_...The meaning is hidden deeper. Try looking inside yourself for answers._

"Stop making everything such a riddle! It's annoying and stupid!" I yelled, whipping the sword against the ground.

Magnum Rose remained silent as I panted from my sudden outburst. I sighed. This didn't make any sense. A soul shining?

"Shining...the soul is part of your body...the body contains energy...I got it." I said, pounding my fist into the open palm of my other hand.

I activated my mark, and eerie crimson light emitting from it. I focused the energy into my core, where it could shine the brightest. I clutched my hand over my chest, the mark absorbing and magnifying my powers ten-fold. In a rush, I released my core energy, lighting the battlefield with a crimson hue. The light remained, as if permanently burned into the inky darkness settled around us.

"Thanks, Aki." Yusei blocked Godwin's closest attack, now able to see clearly.

I stayed idle for a while, fearing the dissipation of my light if I dared to move. Yusei and Godwin fought head to head melee, their two weapons mere pieces of metal. This was a battle of strength, not of magic or immortality. Yusei was performing well against the shinigami, even better in means of speed and accuracy. Godwin, it seemed, would not allow Yusei to win. He kicked the raven-haired teen's legs out from under him and knocked away Dusk Blade. Yusei fell to the ground with a harsh thump, his head banging against the rooftop.

"Yusei!" I cried.

"Filthy brat. You should have never existed in the first place!" The shinigami thrush his scythe down, impaling Yusei through his stomach. He coughed up blood, unable to move or even speak.

I had enough. I clenched my hand around Magnum Rose's hilt. This bastard would die, no matter what! Walking slowly, I crept towards Godwin's back, making sure not to disturb the man's speech.

"Your father was a good for nothing man! Why create troublesome teenagers who won't even follow orders? He should have brainwashed you all for good measure. Zombified humans are much easier to use." Godwin shouted, kicking Yusei with every sentence.

Yusei chuckled, his face covered by bangs of ebony. The shinigami ceased his attacks, appalled and confused.

"Go. To. Hell." Yusei whispered.

"W-" Godwin didn't get another sentence in.

With all my might, I thrust Magnum Rose deep into that bastard's back, slicing right through his heart. I released the blade, allowing Godwin to clutch his wound as blood poured from his chest in buckets. The man stammered a few syllables, unable to comprehend a coherent sentence, before his eyes rolled into their sockets. Godwin fell to the side, dead. I yanked the scythe out of Yusei's stomach, blood still pouring out of his wounds.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked.

"Who, me? I'll be fine in a few minutes. Since Godwin didn't puncture my lungs or heart, I can heal pretty quickly." He said, lying still while his flesh began regenerating.

I pulled my blade from Godwin's back, flicking the blade with my wrist to rid it of blood. Finally, the battle was over. The eerie darkness that once consumed all, faded into oblivion. I breathed a sigh of relief as the sun proclaimed its glory low in the sky. Sunset. A beautiful one, the reds and golds mixing with pale indigo at the edges. The clouds that hung near the sun became cotton candy pink in the light. All was right once again.

"Aki, we should help Crow and Jack first." Yusei stated. He jumped from the rooftop, lading gracefully on the ground below.

I stretched my wings and glided to the ground, a descent that took only seconds to complete. Jack and Crow lay in the same spots as before.

"Are they...dead?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably towards Yusei.

"No, they're not. Injured, yes, but certainly not dead." He assured.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Yusei knelt beside Jack, while I picked up Crow and held him in my arms.

"Yusei, Crow isn't waking up." I said, attempting to shake the carrot-topped teen awake.

"I figured as much, here." Yusei tossed me a small vile filled with a clear liquid.

"What's this?"

"Ammonia. Strongest chemical used to awaken the senses. Just wave it under his nose." Yusei explained, checking Jack for signs of concussions.

I uncapped the vile and held it under Crow's nose for a few seconds. A single whiff of the fumes caused Crow to spring to life, covering his sensitive nose.

"Holy-gah! That stuff smell horrible!" Crow rubbed his nose, attempting to banish the horrid scent.

"It got you up, though." Yusei stated blandly.

"Got me up? Hold on a sec, where's Godwin?" Crow panicked, swiveling his head for any signs of the man.

"He's dead. Aki killed him with one attack." Yusei explained, slapping Jack in the face.

"You do realize that Jack won't wake up from that, right?" Crow said.

"I know. It was payback for almost allowing you to be killed." Yusei smirked, holding another vile of ammonia under Jack's nose.

Jack sat up, covering his nose and mouth to keep from vomiting. He glared at Yusei for a few seconds before his expression turned into one of pure horror.

"We...aren't dead, right?" The blond asked, his voice wavering with fear.

"Welcome to your living Hell, buddy!" Crow snickered as he wrapped his arm around Jack's shoulder.

"Get off me you retard." Jack growled, shoving the younger male away from himself.

"Suit yourself. You better thank Aki, though. She and Yusei saved your sorry ass." Crow said sternly, nodding towards me.

Jack blushed slightly, turning his head away shyly. "Thanks for saving me."

"Hey! They saved _us_!" Crow whined.

"Like I said, I appreciate your help. So the old man is finally dead, eh? Serves him right." The blond spoke with most disdain about his father.

"But, what now?" Crow was staring at all three of us.

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"We have no home and no directive anymore. In other words, our mission in life has been fulfilled. Does this mean we are to disappear?" The carrot-top teen explained.

The three boys pondered their situation for a moment. I caught on to what Crow was saying. If the three of them joined together to fight Godwin, what would they do now? He was dead. But maybe, just maybe...

"Yusei has Akiza to look after, so he should get a job." Jack started, laying out the guidelines.

"Yeah, but I don't think I can get anything impressive."

"You could become a mechanic." Crow suggested.

"But what about you two? There's no way you could hide your powers." Yusei asked.

"We'll think of something...I think." Crow smiled sheepishly.

"How about becoming my brothers?" I said, joining the conversation.

"Brothers?" Jack and Crow said in unison.

"My parents always wanted a son, and two would be even better." I explained.

Jack sighed, resting his head on his fingertips. "We can't just show up and ask to be taken into your family."

"Don't worry about that. I can take care of it." I smiled, beaming with happiness.

"She's a psychic, you know. Mind manipulation shouldn't be a problem." Yusei smirked, crossing his arms.

Crow and Jack gaped at Yusei, then at me, and finally decided on bombarding Yusei with questions. I laughed. Yusei could always be counted on no matter what task he was put up to. I loved him and he loved me back. No matter what happened, I wanted him to stay by my side forever.

"Yusei..." I interrupted, pulling on his arm.

"Yes, Aki?" He asked.

"Can you make me a promise?"

"Whatever you wish, I will do for you." Yusei placed his right hand over his heart and bowed respectfully.

"Then promise, Promise that you'll stay by my side forever!" I begged, grasping his hands.

Yusei smiled warmly. He took my marked hand into his, kneeling before me as a knight does for his princess.

"I swear, on my own life, that I shall stay by your side forever, Princess Akiza." Yusei announced with passion, lightly kissing my hand.

I smiled happily. This was our future, and we would make it through together, no matter what. We were a family, and a family we would remain for ever.

_**Fin**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thank you to all who have patiently waited for Ravens and Crows to come together.<strong>_

_**I appreciate everyone's contribution and praise.**_

_**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,**_

_**Majestic Stardust**_


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